| Individual health insurance plans are becoming more of | | | | guarantee you that you'll be saving more than that by |
| a luxury for many people these days because it's just | | | | raising your deductible. Actually, even if your deductible |
| so expensive to buy a private plan. It's even becoming | | | | was only $250.00 per year you'd still have to pay that |
| more difficult for a lot of individuals to buy health | | | | out of your pocket. Your main goal is to keep from |
| insurance through their employers because many | | | | ruining yourself financially in the event that you end up |
| companies have been forced to drop the benefits | | | | with a very expensive hospital stay. |
| because of the expense. So what does a person do | | | | #3. This will probably be the most difficult option for |
| when their health insurance costs are sky high? Let's | | | | you to consider, and I understand completely. Cutting |
| take a look at a few options. | | | | back on all of your "extras". Now I don't mean to stop |
| #1. The first option would be to buy a "stripped down" | | | | living, but if you really think about it I'm sure you could |
| policy. This means that you would have the bare | | | | squeeze $50-$100 a month extra toward an individual |
| minimums as far as coverage. This isn't the safest | | | | health insurance plan if you REALLY wanted to. This |
| way to go in the event of long term hospitalization, | | | | might mean stepping down one package on your |
| however, the odds are in your favor that this won't | | | | cable tv, staying home one weekend that you would |
| happen. Yes, it's risky, but at least you'd have health | | | | have gone out, buying "Brand B" a few more times at |
| insurance. | | | | the grocery store, stepping down from those Levi |
| #2. Buy a policy with the maximum deductible. I realize | | | | 501's. Doing this can be very difficult and I understand |
| that if you have a policy with a $2,500-5,000 deductible | | | | completely, but I'd almost bet you can come up with |
| that you'll be paying for all of your basic health care | | | | what you need and probably have money to spare. |
| out of your own pocket, however, if you consider that | | | | Summary |
| the average person does not get sick enough to | | | | Yes, individual health insurance plans are more |
| actually see a doctor more than once or twice per | | | | expensive than ever and yes it is a struggle for a lot |
| year then this makes complete sense. Let's say that | | | | of folks to make it paycheck to paycheck, but now |
| you had to go to the doctor twice in a year. Your | | | | you know that if there's a will, there's a way and that |
| office visit costs you $75 and your prescriptions cost | | | | having some type of individual health insurance |
| another $50. That's $125.00 x 2 = $250.00 per year. | | | | coverage is absolutely better than none at all. |
| That comes out to $20.83 per month and I can almost | | | | |