Find Affordable Health Insurance

While this was the former contest page for 12Avatars, we're now going to use this space to talk about affordable health insurance, how to shop for it, what to shop for, and so on. Health insurance is something everyone needs, but finding the right health insurance for you can be tricky. You need to know what type of insurance works for you, and what type of options and features you want in your health plan.

There are basically a few types of health insurance plans, HMO's, PPO's, POS's and Health Savings Accounts. HMO's are the most common type of health insurance plan due to their low costs, and are good for people who don't visit the doctor too often. The downside of HMO's is the lack of freedom. If you need to see a specialist, for example, you need to get clearance from your Primary Care Physician, so you don't have as much freedom as you might like.

PPO and POS plans are a little more expensive than HMO plans, but they give you a lot more freedom in the doctors and specialists you see, as you don't need to go through a gatekeeper (what they term for Primary Care Physicians who hold the keys to seeing specialists). Health Savings Accounts work a bit different than these plans, making you put money into a savings account coupled with a high deductible insurance plan. You save up and pay out through your savings account until the deductible is reached, then the plan takes over.

So what you need to think of is…how much do you want to pay, and how much freedom do you want? If you're in good health and don't need much more than regular physicals, an HMO might work fine for you in the long run. However, if you need more freedom to see more doctors, a PPO or POS plan might be better for you. Take the time to decide which plan is right for you then shop around for the most affordable plan from there.