Inflated Insurance Premiums

In response to the most recent 11% increase in my health insurance premium, I say please tell me how to decrease this humongous, hefty payment. After about seven years of stable prices and reasonable increases that were not higher than the average 3% cost of living per year, the last four years have been double digit increases.

My premium has gone from one of my smallest monthly bills, not even in the top ten, to the second. It follows my monthly mortgage (and interest, homeowners insurance, and windstorm
insurance in one bill). There is also flood and auto insurance. Together with the other home insurance protection mentioned, the total is about half of what my yearly health insurance will be. It used to be the other way around.

What is one to do? My initial thought was...well, my second and third thoughts were to call and write the insurance company, and to see what else I could trim from the monthly budget. My hundred dollar medication (not covered by insurance)? My weekly physical therapy treatment (not covered by insurance, but prescribed by my doctor)? My visits to the doctor? My grocery bill? My gas for the car? My windstorm (if you have a mortgage they say this can't be done),homeowners, and flood insurances? Postpone my new roof or keep the leaky one? At least I will get a discount on my windstorm and homeowners insurance premium for a new roof because of the preventive hurricane code application. For all the medical prevention I have done, it seems as if my insurance company could follow suit. I have saved them a lot of money, and continue to do so.

Well, I am considering all options. I wrote a letter to my insurance company via email last week. I am still waiting for a reply. I will call them if there is no response by tomorrow. Sometimes calling and getting a response can take just as long.

It makes me wonder what other patients are doing in response to increasing inflated insurance premiums. What price is too much for your most important asset - YOU?