Did you know that more than 50% of all Alabama residents who have health insurance report that the monthly cost of their coverage is a severe strain on their family’s budget? And did you know that the cost of a medical policy here in Alabama has gotten so out of hand that fully 16% of all residents of the state can’t afford to buy any health protection at all? If you’re having trouble affording medical coverage take heart because there are several ways for you to reduce your costs almost overnight.

Start by simply setting up an automatic payment plan for your premium. If your company doesn’t have to bill you each month they pass that savings on to you.

If you can’t get low-cost group coverage where you work don’t lose hope. You’d be simply amazed at the number of clubs, groups, organizations and associations that offer their members low-cost group health as a perk for being a member. Even some religious organizations are now offering their congregations group medical.

If you don’t belong to any clubs or groups that offer group medical coverage, see if any of your friends or family do. If so, see if you can join.

Obviously you are not going to get the cheapest coverage if you smoke or use chew. If you’re serious about finding the cheapest possible policy then you’re going to have to be just as serious about quitting all tobacco products.

Weight is another consideration. Health companies base your premium, at least in part, on your Body Mass Index, or BMI. This is a fancy way of saying that if you are overweight you’ll pay more for your coverage.

The good news is that if you can somehow lose even just a handful of pounds you might slip down a rung on your company’s BMI scale and if that should happen then you could be in for a rather nice savings each month.

If you don’t see your doctor on a regular basis then raising your co-payment from 25% to 50% will save you a lot of money every single month.

Of course, the fastest way to reduce the cost of your premium is to raise your deductible. Raising your deductible can have a dramatic effect on how much you pay each month. Just keep in mind that you can’t raise your deductible past the point at which you can afford to pay for it.

You’ll also save quite a lot of money if you buy your health plan on the internet. Insurance companies have almost no overhead when they make an online sale and they pass these savings on to you.

Keep in mind that if you want to have the largest choice of prices available to you then you’ll have to take a little extra time and find at least 3 different websites that let you run price comparisons for medical coverage in Alabama.

But once you’ve made your comparisons on at least 3 different sites then all you have to do is to pick the lowest price you’ve found and you’re done!

By: Alexis Jensen

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