Perhaps you’re among the many workers whose employer has elected to pay the US government fine for not providing employee medical insurance, and you’re now on your own to find private medical insurance to cover your health coverage needs.  If so, you’re not alone (the new healthcare law has had some unintended consequences that the government didn’t thoroughly consider), but navigating the private medical insurance market can be tricky.  Here is a bit of advice to help keep costs down.

First, be sure you’re participating in some kind of wellness program.  If your workplace offers an employee wellness program, be sure to sign up and participate.  If not, make sure that you can demonstrate participation in an organized fitness regimen of some sort, whether it’s a gym membership, sports league (be careful here – if you’re a part-time pugilist, your rates won’t be cheap!), runner’s club, or the like.  Physical activity reduces your likelihood of developing costly illnesses, so your private medical insurance rates will be significantly lower than if you lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Second, investigate whether you qualify for a government-assisted healthcare program.  If you have an existing medical condition that places you in a higher risk pool than average, there might be a subsidy available to help offset the higher cost of your premium.  Many states offer programs like this, and there is talk of a federal stipend to help as well, though as of this writing we’re not aware of an in-place federal health care aid package.

Third, if you run a network marketing home business on the side, many multi-level marketing organizations make health insurance available at a significant discount.  There are many MLM product distributors who join their network marketing company solely for the private medical insurance price discount, and never sell a product.  Given the exorbitant cost of health insurance, it might be a viable option for you to investigate.

Last, and most importantly, read the fine print before you accept any policy.  The cheapest medical insurance policies are inexpensive for a reason, and the reason is usually that they offer limited or nonexistent coverage for common or high-cost ailments.  There’s also a reason that the medical insurance application is written in language only a lawyer can understand: in the event you become seriously ill and require expensive treatment, the insurance industry is famous for searching for fine-print errors in your application in order to drop your now-costly coverage.  Protect yourself with a thorough application, and have an experienced healthcare attorney review your application to inform you of any loopholes.

Spending a little extra time up front will save you headaches and heartache, and ensure your private medical coverage suits your needs.