Healthy Living Tips for Affordable Health Insurance

Health insurance premiums have risen dramatically in the last several years, far outpacing the rate of inflation and wage increases.  And though several of the factors that influence these increases are beyond your control, there are several ways you can reduce the amount you’ll pay for health insurance and improve your health at the same time:

Don’t Smoke

Despite the well-known fact that smoking causes many diseases, over 40 million Americans still smoke.  In fact smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.  Health insurance companies understand the added risk of insuring smokers and will increase premiums accordingly.  When buying insurance on your own, you could even get rejected if you’re a smoker.  And don’t imagine you’re automatically covered by employer-sponsored insurance either. Employers across the country are trying to reduce their health insurance costs by encouraging --or even requiring-- employees to quit smoking.  If you smoke, quitting is often the single most important way to reduce your chance of illness.   Through their website, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) can provide you with helpful resources. Click here to learn more about how to quit.

Lose Weight

Research shows that America’s growing weight problem is a direct factor in the rise of diseases such as diabetes.  After smoking, obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States.  Sadly, increasing numbers of young people are considered obese, putting them at higher risk for diseases such as diabetes.  Type 2 diabetes is often caused by poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle and is fast becoming an epidemic, especially among the young.   In addition to diabetes, conditions related to being overweight and obese include, cardiovascular disease, various forms of cancer, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis.  These conditions oftentimes lead to premature death.  According to the CDC, obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher.   Your BMI is expressed as a ratio of height to weight.   The CDC website provides a BMI Calculator so you can see if you are a healthy weight for your height.[d1] 

Limit Alcohol

Moderate consumption of alcohol is usually not a health problem for adults but if you drink more than two drinks a day for men, or one drink a day for women, you’re putting yourself at risk.  According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), one in thirteen adults, or about fourteen million Americans, abuse alcohol or are alcoholics.  Drinking heavily increases your risk of various types of cancer, including liver, esophagus, throat, and larynx.  It can also cause liver cirrhosis, immune system problems and brain damage. In addition, drinking increases the risk of death from injuries caused by automobile crashes and other activities. Furthermore, both homicides and suicides are more likely to be committed by persons who have been drinking. In purely economic terms, alcohol-related problems cost the American economy approximately $185 billion per year.  For more information on alcoholism and alcohol abuse, visit the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism website here.

By quitting smoking, losing weight and limiting your consumption of alcohol, you’ll not only improve your chances to lead a longer, more active life, you can also save money on your health insurance premiums.  In determining your monthly health insurance costs, the insurance companies take your personal risk factors into account, and all of the risk factors discussed above can significantly increase your final monthly rate.  Some insurance companies may even deny you coverage when these risk factors are present.  To find out more about affordable health insurance potions in your area, visit www.ehealthinsurance.com for a free online quote.