Believe it or not: the power to keep health insurance plans affordable lies in your hands. If you ask how, the answer is simple: For the benefit of others, you can decide to defer your health insurance benefits until the need truly arises. Your premium is calculated based on a modest projection of how much money is going to be spent on healthcare. If your insurance company projects that everyone will max out the benefits every single year, it would definitely charge you a ballooning premium as a consequence.

This page aims to make a responsible healthcare consumer out of you. Check out the following things you can do to safeguard your health and at the mean time help maintain the affordability of your health insurance plan.

1. Avoid getting sick. Follow the rote advice given by many: Eat a balanced diet; exercise regularly; get plenty of sleep; watch your weight; love your body. Remember that your health insurance plan is your safety net during emergency situations. The plan gives you some peace of mind, and not the license to abuse your body. Do not make yourself sick just so you can avail of the benefits stated in your insurance.

2. Develop a healthy patient-doctor relationship in your choice of insurance-authorized hospital or clinic. This spares both the insurance company and the healthcare institution from a lot of paperwork. It also facilitates a smoother and easier-to-track communication line between the two parties – an advantage which you, the patient, will ultimately enjoy.

On your end, developing a healthy relationship with your selected physician can benefit you in at least two ways. First, it can keep you from the emergency room (ER). The ER is a place where treatment and diagnosis may be hurried, and the costs are high. Why spend so much in an ER when you get cheaper and more specialized care from your doctor?

Second, it can keep you from needless visits to the clinic for consultation, from long queues and from delayed care. Your doctor can just be a phone call away and you can ask him all the questions you want about your treatment, medication and general condition. This way, you are saving time both for yourself and for your physician.

3. Go for generic prescription drugs if your health insurance plan agrees to co-pay for medication. Generic prescription drugs can be five to ten times cheaper than branded drugs, and are not the least bit inferior or ineffective. Unlike designer clothes and designer accessories, brand name does not really matter in your medication. A generic drug will earn you the label “pauper.” Remind your doctor to write you a prescription for generic drugs over branded ones. Remember, you are doing this, not only for yourself or for the insurance company, but also for the benefit of other co-subscribers who may need more expensive medication than you do.

Your generosity goes a long way. Keep these three tips in mind if you wish to keep your health insurance plan affordable today and in the years to come.