I’m sure the 47 million Americans that were walking around without health insurance in 2006 could offer some good reasons to get a health insurance quote. The astonishing figure from the U.S. census is only the tip of the iceberg.

How about $30 billion (with a B) dollars on out of pocket medical costs every year according to HealthAffairs.org?

You Need Health Insurance

Maybe this year you made it through without any hospitalizations or broken bones – but what about next year?

You’re a slip away from tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills.

Just check out the blue cross estimates for what it’ll cost you to go without:

• A 3-day hospital stay - $27,984
• Burst appendix - $48,151
• Knee surgery and aftercare - $48,302

Why get a Health Insurance Quote?

If you’re searching for an affordable individual health insurance plan, there’s no better way to find it than by getting a health insurance quote.

Shopping around is the key to saving on just about everything you buy – and health insurance is no different.

Here are the Top Five Reasons you Should Click and Compare:

1. Rates Vary

Premiums can vary greatly from company to company, sometimes as much as 50% for similar plans. So you have to compare plans in order to get the best deal. This doesn’t mean you have to call a bunch of different insurance companies or go to a dozen different sites. The best way to get a health insurance quote is by going to a large, unbiased site like insurancerates.com and let them shop your information around to all the best companies you already know and trust.

2. You Can’t get Health Insurance Through Work

Health benefits are no longer a given right when you get a full-time job. According to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 60% of employers offer health insurance benefits to their employees. If you’re working part-time, it’s even more likely your employer won’t offer health benefits.

Getting an individual health insurance plan is definitely the way to go.

3. It Might be Cheaper Than Your Employer’s Plan

If you’re working for a small company (less than 200 employees) then you might be paying more for that group health insurance plan than if you went at it alone.

According to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust 37% of employees who work in a company with three to 199 employees will pay more than half the cost of their family’s health care premium. As the average family health care premium is now $12,000, many employees at smaller businesses can expect to pay over $500 a month for a family health care plan.

That’s a pretty big price tag. Shopping for an individual health care plan could save you big bucks.

4. Work Only Offers an High Deductible Plan

Not everybody is a fan of the High Deductible Plan, even when coupled with a Health Savings Account. But, according to the New York Times, more than 100 major companies (and hundreds of smaller ones) are offering employees a high-deductible plan as a single take-it-or-leave-it option.

If you are more comfortable with the simpler, more wide coverage offerings of a managed care plan (HMO, PPO, POS) then get one! You can shop for quotes on all kinds of health plans online, including HMOs, PPOs and POS options.

5. COBRA Won’t Last Forever

If you’re among the millions of workers that recently got handed a pink-slip, I’m sure you’re familiar with the term COBRA.

Keep in mind that COBRA will only last for a certain period of time (typically 18 months, sometimes longer) and the premiums can be hefty.

Shopping around for an individual plan while on COBRA will allow you to get the best deal in town while avoiding a gap in your coverage.

Got it? Go get it!

Don’t overpay for health insurance. Go to a one-stop-shop site and get a health insurance quote from all the best companies today. Shopping for an individual health insurance plan at insurance rates won’t just save you a ton of money, it’ll save you a bunch of time too.