Ways to Make Medical Coverage and Healthcare More Affordable.

Even if you did your homework, shopped around for medical insurance, compared policies, carriers and did everything else you can think of to find the most affordable medical coverage you felt was available – there are still many things you can do as a consumer to make both your medical coverage and your healthcare in general, more affordable.

Most purchasers of individual medical insurance know that one of the best ways to reduce rates and make the premiums more affordable is to select a policy with a higher deductible. But a simple tip that many consumers overlook is to pay the premium for the full year in one lump sum, rather than monthly. This can amount to a significant savings. Other ways to reduce the cost of medical coverage is to consider enrolling in a small group plan if you are self-employed, rather then purchasing individual medical coverage. You can usually join a trade association related to your line of work and benefit from access to more affordable medical coverage because of the purchasing power for the group. Also if you are self employed under Section 105 of the Internal Revenue Code, what you pay for health insurance may be 100% deductible, consult your Income Tax professional about how to do this.

The bottom line is, even if you have done everything you can to reduce the cost of your medical coverage, the fact of the matter is, health insurance is still likely a significant "line item" on your overall healthcare budget, so here are a few tips that can help reduce some of the other costs making your overall healthcare more affordable. Remember what you save in other areas of health care can help defray the costs of medical coverage.

First up shop around, you were smart enough to shop around for your medical coverage, now shop around for your healthcare, today hospitals are highly competitive, and the fees for services may vary greatly from hospital to hospital in your area. Your doctor may have privileges at more then one hospital; check with him if it is less expensive to be admitted at one rather than the other. No one is suggesting that you should not see a doctor when you are really sick, but routine doctor visits average about 75.00. You can probably save hundreds even thousands of dollars a year by staying home and treating with OTC medications for minor colds and flu symptoms. Also get to know the free clinics in your area, all of which will offer a nurse "on-call" service for advice over the phone to help determine if you really need to see a physician or not. Purchase generic prescription drugs whenever possible. Take advantage of free "wellness programs" in your area, you can save hundreds of dollars with free health screenings for high-blood pressure and cholesterol, not to mention free immunizations like flu shots, which are offered in many communities. And when it comes to the possibilities of requiring an expensive procedure, always, always, get a second opinion, you may be surprised at how often a doctor at a certain hospital in a certain location recommends a given procedure, because it is in the best interests of the facility - and not yours - to do so.