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Given the dizzying complexity of the American Industrial Healthcare System, it’s easy for even highly educated people to feel overwhelmed by their options. Here are some savvy and somewhat counterintuitive ideas to help with your health insurance search.

First, did you know that you may be entitled to what’s known as a “Free Look” for certain healthcare plans? This means that you can test-drive your coverage, much as you would test-drive a car. Of course, not all healthcare plans come with a free look option, but you may not know such an option exists unless you ask. You’re generally allowed between one week and a month to test your plan, but you should read over the rules and restrictions of the free look option carefully. If you violate any of the codicils in your contract, you may be stuck with your plan, even if you decide you don’t really like it.

Sign up for a health savings account (HSA). This account allows you to stow away money to pay for doctor’s visits and other medical expenses in a tax shelter. The HSA can function as a de facto retirement account. After you hit the ripe age of 65, you can withdraw the money you have stored up to assist with your retirement budget. The best way to make an HSA work, according to specialists, is to opt for a high-deductible, low monthly premium plan. Of course, if you have special medical conditions or if you are pregnant (or about to be pregnant), a high-deductible, low premium plan probably isn’t the smartest way to go.

This brings us to another important idea: pick a plan that matches your medical and lifestyle needs. If you are middle aged or elderly, and you don’t see much potential for income growth in the future, get a plan that allows you to see specialists and that covers prescription drugs to the hilt. Aim for lower co-payments and the ability to see diverse specialists in relevant medical fields. If, on the other hand, you are a young, relatively healthy single male, opt for a plan that covers only catastrophic medical contingencies. For instance, get a plan that boasts low monthly premiums and will protect you if you get hurt in a car accident or end up in the emergency room.

Believe it or not, some providers allow you to negotiate the price and array of coverage options. Talk to your potential insurers about their preferred pricing programs, (particularly vis-à-vis prescription plans). You can save money by opting for generic prescription coverage. Your insurer may also suggest appropriate plans for your lifestyle.

Consider using a broker. Given the myriad options out there — including indemnity insurance, HMO coverage, PPO coverage, and POS (point of service) plans, it may behoove you to work with a specialist to home in on the best plans the market has to offer. Not all healthcare insurance brokers are created equal. Trust the National Association of Insurance Underwriters to vet potential brokers for you.

Determine your priorities before shopping plans and pricing options. Are you married and ready to start having children? Do you have any pre-existing conditions or potential health problems that might make it more difficult for you to get coverage? Can you count on a corporation or other private entity to fund or even partially fund your insurance payments? Do you qualify for government assistance with healthcare? Are you concerned about getting preventative coverage? Do you want to keep your current physicians in your covered network? Are you planning to move to another city in the next two years?

Get your answers straight to all the above questions. Browse online insurance help sites and community forums regarding coverage. The more specifically you know your needs and the potential pitfalls you might encounter when shopping for insurance, the faster and easier your search will be.

Be aware that the evidence of a “pre-existing condition” — even a minor one — can make it very difficult for you to get insurance on your own. For instance, let’s say that you were diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome four years ago, and you went to a chiropractor 12 times to get therapy to resolve the condition. If your insurer-to-be discovers that you had this treatment — even if you’re perfectly healthy today — you may be penalized or otherwise denied coverage.

Lastly, remember that it’s impossible to determine an absolutely optimal healthcare coverage program. At the end of the day, you can only guess what will be best for you in the future. Do what you can to get the best coverage for your needs, but don’t drive yourself crazy trying to optimize your cost-benefit calculus. Just make sure you have the basics covered — particularly emergency care — and spend your time and energy keeping yourself and your family healthy.

Goebelt Insurance is a leading provider of health insurance from Blue Cross Blue Shielf of North Carolina.  Visit us today for a free rate quote from BCBSNC and information to help secure the health of your loved ones.

In today’s less-than-best economic atmosphere, many employers are asking their workers to carry more and more of the financial responsibility for their health insurance coverage. As healthcare costs rise ever higher, it’s time for all Americans to get on the road to cheaper, more affordable healthcare. The following steps may not reduce your insurance premiums this year or even next, but they can help lower costs for all of us in the future.

Step 1: A Pound of Prevention

Every year, millions of Americans end up in emergency rooms for treatment of serious, but preventable, injuries. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reports over 140,000 needless injuries every year from not wearing a seatbelt. Another estimated 150,000 people suffer head injuries because they don’t wear a bicycle helmet before peddling away. Preventable injuries from these two common mistakes total up to nearly $30 billion every year! Other easily preventable injuries stem from improper sports equipment and incomplete sports training. Making sure your child’s gear fits and functions properly, and that he knows what he needs to be doing while playing, can go a long way to preventing serious (and even not so serious) injuries. The simple acts of stretching and warming up prior to any physical activity help keep painful sprains and strains away. Wouldn’t you rather be prepared than pay the price?

Step 2: Get a Move on

American could save nearly $77 billion by getting up and doing something. Obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and arthritis are all chronic conditions that are more prevalent among the inactive, overweight population. Just 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise everyday can help keep your risk for these serious, costly conditions low. You’ll be improving your overall health while taking steps (literally) to help keep healthcare costs down.

Taking a note from Step 1 above, you should be sure to check with your physician before beginning any strenuous exercise regimen. Being physically able to perform the activity you have in mind will go a long way toward preventing serious injury from a lack of preventive measures. You should also be certain that you understand the mechanics involved in the physical activity you’ll be doing, so that you can perform the necessary movements easily and properly, thus avoiding injury.

Step 3: Watch Your Mouth

Eating right can improve your overall health, and therefore keep your healthcare costs down. Obesity and being overweight, and the health problems associated with them, cost Americans as much as $100 billion each year. Devising a nutritional plan to accompany your exercise program can reduce chronic problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and asthma. Better management of your chronic illnesses through better eating habits can reduce healthcare costs for you, and for everyone. Proper nutrition can improve your overall health, reducing the risk of such common illnesses as colds and viruses.

With the 60% of the nation’s adult population now being classified as overweight or obese, and the number of children classified as such steadily growing, unless we watch our mouths and what goes in them, America is in for ever-increasing healthcare costs.

Step 4: If This Were a Real Emergency…..

American Emergency Departments are notorious for long waits and inadequate care. Ever wonder why? Because many Americans use their local Emergency Department for routine or non-serious care in place of their physician’s office or a walk-in urgent care clinic. The cost of an average non-emergency Emergency Department visit is nearly seven times that of a physician’s office visit, and nearly 5 times that of most clinics. Before you head to the hospital next time, contact your physician first. If your physician is unavailable, try an urgent care center. The staff there may be able to help you determine if immediate care is necessary. Leave the Emergency Department for those people with real, serious emergency cases. Your hospital staff will thank you, your wallet will thank you, and in all likelihood, your body will thank you. The irony here, you see, is that in overcrowded Emergency Departments with overworked staffs, the less serious, non-emergency patients receive less care and attention than the true emergency cases. So, you aren’t getting what you pay for anyway.

Step 5: Develop a Professional Relationship

Two professionals are vital to your optimal healthcare cost savings – your physician and your pharmacist. Getting to know them, and letting them really get to know you and your family can save all of us billions each year. You see, Americans spend about $15 billion on preventable medical “errors” each year. These “errors” result from patients not being completely forthcoming with their physicians. We like to lie about how much we smoke or drink, about how much and what kinds of exercise we actually do, about how much we really understand what the doctor or pharmacist is saying regarding our condition and its treatment, about what medications we are taking. These “errors” result in overmedicating, under dosing, medication interactions, allergic reactions, drug/alcohol interactions, and other preventable injuries. Honesty really is the best policy, especially when it comes to your physical and mental health.

Having a good relationship with your physician can have added benefits, too. Regular checkups can spot problems before they reach stages requiring expensive, extensive treatments. Chronic illnesses and conditions can be managed much more effectively when your doctor has a better idea of how you are now compared to how you’ve been. Developing a good rapport with your physician can save you from making visits, too. When your physician and his staff are familiar with you and your health, oftentimes a phone call is all it takes to get advice on treatment of a non-emergency injury or illness.

Taking the above simple, easy to follow steps can and will reduce not only your overall healthcare costs, but also lessen the burden on all of us. American healthcare need not break anyone’s bank.

Goebelt Insurance is a leading provider of health insurance from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. Visit them today for a free rate quote from BCBSNC and information to help secure the health of your loved ones.