"I recently struggled with choosing between five different health insurance plans. There were a lot of cost differentials between coinsurance, copays, deductibles, premiums, and the tiers of in-network versus out-of-network costs. It was a lot for the average citizen to tease apart from choosing the most cost-effective plan. Not to mention, how one justifies the costs on a personal level, monthly or annually, really depends on the individual. So I sat down and went over my healthcare needs for the last three years and projected a slightly increased average for the next year. I adjusted my livable budgeting plan and created a chart for the total cost of those needs across all tiers; coinsurance, copays, deductibles, and premiums. It was far more work than anyone should be expected to do, but in the end, I think I saved thousands of dollars in healthcare costs annually."
