Comparing health insurance prices can be a daunting task if it is not done right. The best piece of advice is to begin your search online, to avoid the hassle of contacting each company directly. Below are 9 other tips to help you in your search.

1. Get the best deal by using a health insurance comparison website to get several quotes all at once. This will save you the trouble of visiting several insurance company websites individually and filling out a new quote form for each. You can also apply for your chosen plan directly from the website for added convenience.
   
   
2. Don’t rush into one of the first quotes you find that seems to fit your requirements. There are a lot of options out there and taking your time to review several of them will ensure that you get the best value for your money.
   
   
3. Decide which would be a better option for you: a HMO or a PPO plan. HMO’s can be less expensive when comparing benefits alike, but PPO’s are more flexible; however, there are ways to make a PPO plan less expensive as an HMO plan, if you are willing to have a larger deducible or co-pay.
   
   
4. If you do get a high deductible plan, make sure you couple it with a Health Savings Account in order to get the full value out of the plan. This way, you can save money for your deductible and other health related expenses using pre-tax dollars.
   
   
5. Don’t lie about your health or smoking status when filling out quote forms. This will only give you false results and you will likely end up paying much more for your real insurance plan.
   
   
6. Look at all the plan benefits such as co-pays, prescriptions, emergency care, etc to make sure you are getting the best altogether value. While one plan may look like a better value than another due to price, it may also be missing some pretty important coverage.
   
   
7. Compare quotes from at least 3 different large companies and 3 different small companies to see what discounts they can offer and what the final price would be. This will give you the best idea of all the different options out there, especially if you don’t have time to search through hundreds of quotes.
   
   
8. Be sure to add in any extra costs for special services you will need, including maternity coverage, dental coverage, mental health coverage, and long-term care options.
   
   
9. Decide which criteria are most important to you and search for plans using your top criteria first. This may include cost, deductible amount, co-pay percentage, and HMO vs. PPO. Then search within those results for plans that meet secondary criteria, such as covered services, in-network physicians, convenience, and anything else that may be near the top of your priority list.

By following these tips, searching for the best health insurance plan will take you less time and involve less hassle. It will also ensure that you receive the best quote for your situation from the best insurance company.