How to Get the Best Rates on Health Insurance in New Jersey

Almost 17% of all New Jersey residents do not have health insurance coverage and of those who do have coverage, fully 50% admit that their monthly premium payment is a severe financial burden. As more and more businesses drop their group health plans the situation can only get worse.

Fortunately there are things that you can do right now to help lower the monthly cost of your health insurance.

First, if you have children 18 or younger who cannot get health coverage you may be eligible for the low-cost state-sponsored New Jersey Family Care program. In addition to minor children some adults can also qualify for this health care coverage.

Next, if you smoke you need to stop. Now. Today. Smokers (and people who use chew) pay considerably more for health insurance than do non-tobacco users. That's simply a fact of life. You cannot get the best rates on health insurance in New Jersey or anywhere else if you use tobacco products.

If you are overweight - and who isn't? - you need to shed a few pounds. Health insurance premiums are based, in part, on your Body Mass Index, or BMI. If you can lose even a few pounds you might slip down a rung on the BMI scale and that could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in premium payments over the next few years.

If you already have other insurance policies grouping them together from one insurance company can save you money through a Multi-Policy Discount. Also, if you've had a health insurance policy with the same insurance company for at least 5 years ask about a Long-Term Discount.

If you routinely participate in extreme sports or you have a dangerous hobby it's time to quit - at least if you want the best rates on health insurance. Regular participation in dangerous activities will insure that you do not get the best health insurance rates available.

What is the percentage you pay on your co-pay when you visit your doctor's office? If you are currently paying less than a 50% co-pay consider increasing your co-pay. It means you'll have to come up with more cash every time you visit your doctor's office, but paying a 50% co-pay also means you'll pay less for your insurance each month.

If you only see your doctor a few times each year this can be a real money-saver for you.

Along those same lines would be your yearly deductible. Again, you have to think long and hard about your deductible because this is cash money you have to spend out of your own pocket for your health care each year before your insurance will even thinking of paying anything - but the fact of the matter is, the larger your deductible the smaller your monthly premium payment.

In fact, some people are now purchasing low-cost super-high-deductible health insurance policies. These are policies with a deductible of $2,000 or even more. These policies are not designed to help pay your normal medical bills - they are designed to protect your home and other major assets if you should have a catastrophic accident or illness which unexpectedly leaves you with medical bills in the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

That's it. It's now time for you to take the suggestions in this article and create a low-cost health insurance plan that's right for you. Once you've done that then you need to go online and find a minimum of 3 websites that specialize in comparing the prices of health insurance plans among the different insurance companies.

Compare the plan you've come up with on at least 3 different websites so that you will be certain to see the prices from as many different insurance companies as possible. Once you've done that you just have to grab the lowest price you can find and you're done - you've now done everything you can in order to get the best rates on health insurance in New Jersey.

By Alexis Jensen