Health Insurance Values » Ways to save
50+ ways you can save 
Enroll in a group plan
For self-employed people, including those involved in small businesses, individual health insurance can be extremely costly, sometimes as much as 30 percent of your take-home pay.
By joining associations, you have the opportunity to enroll in a group insurance plan with unique built-in cost controls.
Choose a higher deductible
Often for the healthy family, the number of visits to the doctor totals less than $250 a year, a normally low-deductible rate. This low deduction rate, however, can end up costing you more in the form of higher premiums.
If your family has enjoyed good health for a number of years, you may want to switch to a high deductible of $500 or $1,000. You’ll notice greatly reduced premiums
Pay premiums annually
You avoid the service fee and may also receive a discount from your insurance carrier. Check with your insurance agent to find out how much money you can save if you pay your premium all at once.
Review your policy carefully once a year
As our health care system continues to change and the technology and research into new arenas rapidly expands, your health insurance policy will meet these changing demands. Carefully review your policy to make sure it matches the needs of your family. Read the fine print: for example, your policy may require that you seek medical attention for an accident within 72 hours or it won't cover you. You may also be pleasantly surprised to find that your policy covers an illness or procedure that you never knew it did.
Think twice about additional cancer insurance
Supplementary policies for cancer insurance often may not be needed because you're probably already covered under you existing health insurance plan. Check to make sure your limits for hospitalization and treatment of cancer seem high enough; if they seem too low, try to change your policy.
Make sure there is a limit for out-of-pocket expenses for catastrophic illnesses
About half of individual policyholders lack this important provision, according to insurance experts, who recommend a major medical policy with a stop-loss clause limiting policyholder payout to $2,000 or $3,000.
Helpful hints for filing insurance claims
Know the services that your health insurance policy does and does not cover. If in doubt, file a claim anyway; you'll get a simple answer back in the form of a claim acceptance or rejection.
Save every document that relates to health care, including invoices from the hospital, pharmacy, clinic or doctor, plus any correspondence from the insurance company. Make sure you make photocopies of every bill you submit with a claim in case they're lost.
Feel free to get some help if you need it when filing a claim. Call your local insurance agent, or ask a friend to help. If you have a question about Medicare, don't hesitate to contact the local Social Security office.
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