UnitedHealthOne offers 5 ways to lower your health insurance premium

#1) Be Healthy

Eating a balanced diet and exercising frequently may help you lower your health insurance premium. If you are overweight or have certain preexisting conditions, chances are your health premium may have to increase. However, dieting alone may not be enough to keep your body in top shape. There are many advantages of regular exercise:

• Helps you sleep better, which builds your body's defenses, helping to fight infection and chronic illness
• Prevents coronary conditions and cardiovascular disease
• Reduces pain from arthritis
• Decreases asthma symptoms
• Builds a stronger heart which lowers blood pressure
• Lowers high blood sugar
• Lowers cholesterol
• Increases bone density

Most experts recommend 20-30 minutes of exercise three to five times a week.

MyPyramid.gov explains you need the following portions per day:

• 6 ounces of grains
• 2.5 cups of vegetables
• 2 cups of fruit
• 3 cups of dairy
• 5.5 ounces of meat and protein

When selecting grains, go with whole-wheat brands. The key to selecting the right vegetables would be to go with darker colors; greens (broccoli and spinach), orange (carrots and sweet potatoes), and beans which are full of potassium. When consuming fruit, always go with real fruit rather than fruit juices. When choosing dairy, go with low-fat or fat-free options. Prepare your meats in the healthiest way possible by baking, broiling or grilling it. Go light on marinades, and vary what meats you eat like poultry, fish, and lean beef. Healthy lifestyles will help keep your body in shape and keep money in your wallet by decreasing health insurance premiums.

#2) Don't smoke

Being a smoker can increase your premium. If you quit smoking, you'll likely be saving money monthly with your health insurance costs, not to mention saving the money of buying cigarettes, which can run you over $4 a pack. That could save you hundreds to thousands a year or even close to millions over a lifetime! Choosing not to smoke has many advantages:

• Lowers symptoms of asthma or chronic bronchitis
• Slows the aging process - smoking affects skin color and causes early signs of wrinkles
• Live longer - smokers typically die sooner than nonsmokers by 10 years on average
• Increase productivity - smokers may produce less work by having to take smoke breaks often during work hours
• Improves quality of life for others - secondhand smoke causes more than 40,000 deaths every year in the U.S.

Need help quitting? There are many online resources to help you. Here are two: SmokeFree.gov and The American Cancer Society: Quitting Tips. Smoking is a hard habit to kick, but try some of these tips the next time you feel the need to light up:

• Believe in yourself that you can quit
• Get support from family or friends to help you quit
• Set a date you want to quit
• Avoid triggers and places that give you the urge to smoke

#3) Increase your deductible

Changing the amount of deductible can save you up to 50% off your monthly health insurance premium amount. If you are healthy and don't have a lot of prescription costs, then increase your deductible to an amount you feel comfortable with to lower your premium. See for yourself! Get a free health insurance quote online and High deductible plans