If you're self-employed and facing high health insurance bills, there are a number of things you can do to make your health insurance premiums cheaper once you find a good health insurance plan. Some involve opting out of certain coverage, others mean increasing the amount you'll pay out of pocket for expenses. There are also discount health plans that you can join which will offer you cheaper fees for the services that you use. All involve taking on some of the risk for insuring yourself onto your own shoulders.
Eliminate Coverage for Routine Office Visits for Cheaper Premiums - If you're healthy, have few prescriptions and no children, a catastrophic health insurance policy can be all the coverage that you need. The premiums to cover you just in the event of an accident or unexpected illness are among the cheapest you'll find - well under $100 a month for an individual. Shop online for the best rates you can find. In many cases, you can apply online and be insured within 24 hours.
Increase Your Deductible to Save On Premiums - A deductible is the amount of money you'll pay out of pocket before your insurance company takes over payments on your bill. If your health insurance plan includes a deductible (not a co-payment), you can often make your monthly premiums cheaper by increasing the amount of your deductible. While you'll pay more out of pocket if something does happen, it’s far more affordable than going without health insurance because you can't afford to pay the monthly premium.
Pay Your Premium Annually for Big Discounts - If overall savings are your goal, you can often get the cheapest rate on your health insurance by paying for the full year at one time. Most health insurance companies will substantially discount your health insurance premium if you pay it all at once.
Open a Medical Savings Account - MSA’s are the government's way of helping to make health care more affordable for people who work for themselves or in a small business. A Medical Savings Account allows you to put a certain amount of your earnings into a tax-deferred savings account to cover the cost of medical expenses. By combining this with a cheap high deductible insurance policy, you pay fewer taxes on your MSA earnings, and use them to pay the deductible on your health insurances if it becomes necessary.
Take Your Health Insurance Deduction - When you file your taxes, be sure to take your health insurance deduction. Even if you don't itemize all expenses, you can deduct up to 70% of your health insurance costs from your income when you file your taxes.
To view our recommended sources for health insurance, or to read more articles about health insurance, visit: Recommended Health Insurance Companies Online.
Carrie Reeder is the owner of eZerk, an informational website with articles and the latest news about various topics.
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