| It's hard to find even one person in Alabama who | | | | is a special tax-sheltered savings account that you |
| would not like to find cheap high risk health insurance. | | | | fund with tax-free dollars. Any health costs that you |
| Right now, today, a full 16% of all Alabama residents | | | | have during the year you will pay for using tax-free |
| find health insurance to be so expensive that they | | | | dollars and any money remaining in the account at |
| can't afford coverage at all. Luckily there are a few | | | | the end of the year will be rolled over into the next |
| things YOU can do that will make the cost of your | | | | year, allowing you to build up a tax-free nest egg |
| health insurance more affordable. | | | | over time. |
| Let's start with something easy, such as setting up | | | | You will be required to purchase a very low-cost |
| an automatic payment plan for your monthly | | | | super-high-deductible health insurance policy. This |
| premium. If your insurance company doesn't have to | | | | policy will have a deductible of at least $1,200 if you |
| send you a costly bill every month they will pass the | | | | are purchasing an individual policy or at least $2,400 if |
| savings on to you. | | | | you are buying a family policy. |
| Don't smoke and don't use chew or any other | | | | These policies have a deductible so high that in a |
| tobacco product. You've heard it all of your life: don't | | | | normal year they won't pay anything toward any of |
| smoke. Now here's a good reason to stop smoking | | | | your medical bills (that's what your tax-free savings |
| that will save you a LOT of money every single | | | | account is for). So what's their purpose? |
| month. | | | | These cheap high deductible policies are a safety net |
| Get some exercise and stop eating so much fast | | | | in case you should suffer some type of catastrophic |
| food. You know that fast foods aren't good for you. | | | | accident or illness that would otherwise wipe out |
| They traditionally have way too much fat, too much | | | | your savings account and possibly even force you |
| cholesterol, and way too much salt, among other | | | | into selling your home. |
| things. If you cut out all fried foods, most fast foods | | | | But whether you decide on traditional health insurance |
| of any kind and if you can get just a bit of exercise, | | | | or you are interested in one of the tax-free HSA |
| such as walking around the block a few times each | | | | accounts your best bet - by far - for finding the |
| week or biking for a few of your errands, you'll not | | | | cheapest insurance in Alabama is to look for it online. |
| only look and feel better but you'll save money on | | | | Online insurance sellers have almost no overhead and |
| your health care and, ultimately, on your health | | | | they are able to pass their significant savings along to |
| insurance as well. | | | | you. |
| If you can afford to increase your co-payment from | | | | Don't make the mistake of just accepting the prices |
| 25% to 50% you can save a small fortune on your | | | | that you find on only one of the websites designed |
| health care costs. Likewise if you can afford to | | | | to let you compare prices on health insurance. |
| increase your deductible you can save a lot on your | | | | Instead look at the prices from at least 3 different |
| health insurance. | | | | sites and then take the very best price you've found |
| There is something a bit new and radical that you | | | | with the knowledge that you have really and truly |
| may want to look into if you're generally healthy and | | | | found the cheapest medical insurance in the entire |
| you want to save a lot on your health insurance. It's | | | | state of Alabama. |
| called a Health Savings Account, or an HSA. An HSA | | | | |