Health insurance is getting expensive. With the entire health care system in the middle of a reform, there is a lot of uncertainty about the future of health care in the United State. If you look globally you will see that the days “free” healthcare is over and putting the responsibility on the government is simply no longer viable. You and only you are responsible for your health cover and as painful as it maybe, it’s a very necessary expense to ensure that you and your family get the very best health care when you really need it.

Health insurance companies are heavily regulated these days. In an attempt to protect the consumer the government scrutinize the practices of medical insurers to make sure that they don’t mislead consumers in any way. The days of “dodgy” fine print clauses are over. Nonetheless, any insurance policy will come with very strict terms and you need to make sure you know exactly what you get for your money. In the end its your responsibility to get adequate cover.

If you want to save and get the cheapest health plan possible – without compromising on the level of cover, then there are a couple of simple things you can do.

1. Your Immediate Options

While most employers are abandoning health plans for their workers its still something you need to look into. If your employer is offering medical cover then its likely to be far cheaper than a private health plan. Even if your employer does not offer one directly, some work with private companies to help their employers get a better deal. Its also worth checking out your spouse’s health care options. If he/she has a health care plan from work it might be a bug saving going on to that instead of going private.

2. Shop Around

Today there are quite literally hundreds of health care plans and policies that you can buy. There are also a lot of insurers and the competition amongst them is quite fierce. This is great news for you and me because it means that there is competition for our business. Insurers will regularly offer special promotions and deals to quire new customers and if you spend some time to shop around then you can find some really good deals that can save you money without compromising on your level of cover.

3. Trim Your Policy

Its remarkable how many people are massively over-insured. Although having adequate cover is essential, it can add a hefty amount to your monthly payments. If you really have to save, then I’d suggest you start looking at your policy from the top down – meaning that you start by making sure you are covered for the serious stuff like accidents, critical illness and hospitalization. Minor cover can be way over priced and often you will be better of just paying for those things out of pocket.