Ask each representative about available discounts you may qualify for, and how your premium would be affected if you pay for a certain period of time in advance – say, six months to a year.  Sometimes, this will result in a significantly lower costs than if you opt to pay on a month-to-month basis.

 Unfortunately, the current trend with health insurance companies is to charge more and cover less.  The rise in premiums has forced many employers to abandon offering insurance coverage altogether whenever possible. 

 Why are these costs on the rise?  Because doctors are paying more for malpractice insurance, and passing the costs on to their customers, which include you and your insurance provider. 

 Other reasons are that prescription drugs now cost more than ever, technological advancements have caused higher prices, and uninsured and underinsured patient costs are being passed along to taxpayers. 

 The best thing you can do to combat this problem is be an informed consumer and pay close attention to government action being taken to fix the healthcare crisis in the United States – where over 30% of citizens cannot afford to have health insurance at all.