The cost of individual health insurance has gotten out of hand in recent years. It's gotten to the point that many small business owners are no longer able to offer low cost health coverage to their employees. This has driven many individuals and families into the private sector to buy insurance, where they'll pay substantially more than if they had been able to continue buying through their employers group benefit policy. This has made it almost impossible for some people to afford health insurance anymore.

It's a bit easier to cut corners on an individual health insurance plan than it would be for a family policy. Here's why.

An individual can usually tuck away a few dollars so that they're able to pay 100% for their doctor visits, rather than using the policy. This will enable these individuals to raise their plan deductible to a much higher level, which, in turn, will substantially lower their monthly premium payments. The resoning behind this is to get the cost of the plan as low as possible so the individual doesn't have to go without long term health coverage.

Most people only visit their doctor 1-2 times per year anyway and if you are able to put away around $250-$500 then you shuoldn't have any problems. You'd have to pay a good sized co-pay each year until your deductible was met anyway, so this gives you an alternative option for lowering your individual health insurance costs. The choice is, of course, up to you.