With today’s economic depression, everyone is looking for ways to save money. Health care is often thought to be terribly expensive, and as a result is not acquired by people until it is too late. What I want people to understand is that there are numerous ways to cut the cost of health care services without eliminating the financial protection people are looking for. Here are five easy ways to save money on your health care:

1. Shop Around: if you feel that you are paying too much for health insurance coverage-you probably are. Create an outline of your current plan, and compare it to the other options available in your area. Insurance companies base their premiums largely upon the claims they receive. If you see a drastic increase in the cost of your coverage, your insurance carrier probably experienced a lot of claims that year. Research your options, and more often than not you will be able to save money by switching to a different insurance carrier.

2. Raise Your Deductible: by raising the medical deductible on your health insurance plan, you will be able to save hundreds a month on your health insurance. A common misconception about a deductible is that you need to meet it before any other services will be available (for example a copayment when visiting a doctor). This is not the case. Deductibles really only come into play for major medical bills; i.e., major surgeries or if you are confined in the hospital.

3. If you rarely go to the doctor, why pay extra each month for a copayment benefit? Adding a copayment benefit to your plan can run easily and extra $40-$100 a month depending on how many people are on the policy. If you never go to the doctor, you probably don’t need to have the copayment option. The money you would save on your monthly premium by excluding that benefit will easily cover any unforeseen visits to the doctor.

4. Set up a Health Savings Account (HSA): setting up an HSA account is a great way to get tax benefits on your health care. The money put into the account is tax free, the interest earned is tax free, and if used exclusively on medical expenses that money is also tax free.

5. Visit an Urgent Care Center Instead of the ER: urgent care centers are a great way to receive health care services during the off hours of the day without breaking the bank. If your urgent care center is in your provider’s network a visit will often fall under a specialist copayment; whereas, an ER copayment can range from $100-$300. Unless your condition is life threatening, visit your local urgent care center. More often than not the bills will be less expensive, and you will prevent overcrowding in the ER.

These are just a few way to save money on your health care. To find out more on how to save money on health care– speak with a free Advisor at MyInsuranceExpert.com.