In case anyone out there has a job with insurance, you should prepare to hear more talk about special health insurance plans catered to your lifestyle. These new "high deductible" plans are targeted to those who don't visit the doctor and don't expect to ever be sick (Ex.-young employees). The Kaiser Family Foundation, a mind for health care, says a small, but increasing number of employers offer these plans with more expected to next year. Although worth a thought, it should be noted that the plans are not to be taken at face value. High deductible plans allow some people to save money, but are more costly to others.

Traditional health plans (HMOs,PPOs, etc.) require a monthly "premium" for coverage; in addition, another fee is paid for doctor visits, hospital visits, and prescription refills; this is usually a small percentage of the service cost. High deductible insurance has a premium as well, but similar services are out-of-pocket expenses until you have spent a certain amount of money, the deductible. Consequently, insurance helps to cover the remaining cost of health care. The average deductible for high deductible plans is around $2,000 according to Kaiser. In other words, you alone are paying for service until the $2,000 requirement is met. However, some plans do pay for preventative care prior to paying the deductible.