How your Personal Habits affect the Cost of Health Insurance

Do you think that the cost of your health insurance policy is all about your insurer making money? If so, you are not 100 percent correct. Sure, your health insurance company wants to earn money, but at the same time, your personal habits have a lot to do with how much you pay for coverage.

Here are three examples of personal habits that could greatly increase the amount that it costs to purchase a health insurance policy:

  1. Do you smoke or use any type of tobacco product? If so, your health insurance company is going to raise your premiums just about as high as they can. Tobacco use has been linked to everything from cancer to heart disease. If you use tobacco, you should expect to pay more for health insurance coverage.
  2. Are you overweight? Once again, this may affect your premium. On any health insurance application you are going to be asked for your height and weight. If you weigh more than you should for your height, it is safe to say that your health insurance company is going to take this into consideration.
  3. If you drink alcohol on a regular basis, you are not doing yourself any favors. There is nothing wrong with having a drink from time to time, but overdoing this can cause you to have to pay more for health insurance coverage. Are you willing to pay more for insurance just so you can drink alcohol?

Of course, there are other personal habits that can affect the cost of health insurance, but the three above are the ones that are most common. If you can avoid them, you can save money when buying coverage.