Getting the right health insurance policy is a huge factor in starting the year off right or in successfully making major life adjustments mid-year. But given the abundance of options and the extreme complexity of the market, it can be challenging to find your ideal policy.

Having the right health insurance policy in place before a major accident or illness strikes is critical. You need to strike a balance between a quality health plan that does what you want it to do and a plan that is affordable.

The ever-increasing cost of healthcare in the US today demands that individuals and families find every possible way to reduce their annual healthcare bill to a minimum. Of course, that means doing it in a way that is not only possible but also safe and practical.

You may have the luxury of qualifying for convenient and lower-cost health insurance through your employer, but if not, you need to look for an individual or family plan. Those are your two major options, but when you are self-employed, finding the best individual/family plan can be a challenge (so don't hesitate to reach out to an experienced health insurance agent!)

When shopping for health insurance, there are a plethora of important questions you'll need to ask and find the answers to (perhaps, with the help of an experienced health insurance agent), including what kind of deductible to choose, how to minimize out of pocket expenses, and how to calculate your likely healthcare needs for the year ahead.

Having the wrong expectations when shopping for health insurance can lead to one of two negative consequences: becoming over-insured or becoming under-insured. A good health insurance agent can help you find the perfect balance so you won't be disappointed with your policy's benefits or overwhelmed by its premiums.

Many people focus too much on the premiums when choosing a health insurance plan, but out of pocket costs are just as important a factor. And what kind of a deductible, if any, your plan has is one of the biggest out of pocket considerations.

No one insurance policy is going to cover you against all medical risks and the impacts of a serious accident or illness. The best strategy, therefore, is to combine several key types of insurance so that one type can fill in the "gaps" left by the other(s).

There are many common myths about health insurance agents that make people wrongly conclude that they shouldn't use one. This is why so many people miss out on the great help that a health insurance agent or broker offers them free of charge.

If you were insuring your car or your home, it would be easy to place a fixed value on the object insured and decide how much insurance to buy on that basis. But when you are protecting yourself against potential medical expenses, it's impossible to know for sure how much you and your family might use across the next 12 months.