Avoid stress, be optimistic, retire early, hit the gym and you’ll thrive, right? Nope. New research has discovered that a long career of hard work, not relaxation, is the key to a long and successful life.

It’s no secret that health insurance is a fairly large expense, so of course most of us would like to decrease the cost.  When it comes to health insurance, consumers do not have the same level of control as with auto insurance, other than raising the deductible to reduce the premium, generally in order to impact the cost of health insurance, you have to revamp your lifestyle. In honor of National Nutrition Month, Bucci Insurance wanted to provide a few tips to help reduce insurance costs and stay healthy.

It is well known that smokers and drinkers are charged more for their health insurance, but what some consumers may not be aware of it that your weight can also cost more money? With some policies, even being just a little bit over the recommended range for your height can cause an increase of 10-20%.

What can you do, then, to lower those health insurance premiums? Here’s a list of five healthy habits that will help you lose weight, improve your fitness level, and eventually save some cash.

• Respect your body: A glass of wine every so often is fine, but drinking to excess, like heavy smoking, is not only bad for your body, but bad for your wallet. Quit smoking, and keep your alcohol consumption in the low-to-moderate range.
• Breakfast like a champion: While skipping meals is never wise, if you are going to miss one, make sure it’s not breakfast. Beginning the day without nutrition is like trying to run a car with an empty gas tank; you’ll be lethargic and unfocussed. In addition, missing meals makes it harder to lose weight, because your body goes into starvation mode, storing calories rather than spending them.
• Catch some zzzz’s: Did you know that getting ample sleep is crucial to optimum cognitive function as well as maximum weight loss? It is, so fight the urge to stay up to the wee hours, and try your best to get eight full hours of sleep.
• Cut calories: Eating healthy foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is a no-brainer, but you have to watch those snacks as well. If you can’t re-arrange your schedules so that you’re eating six small, healthy meals a day, instead of the big three, at least make sure that the snacks you choose are high in protein and low in sugar. Nuts and fruit are good choices.
• No pain no gain: It may be an old adage, but that doesn’t make it less true. 30 minutes of exercise 3-4 times a week, with a balance of cardio and strength training makes you leaner, and your insurance agent happy. Even thin people should exercise – it’s possible to be skinny but still be out of shape.

*Tips provided by the American Heart Association

While these tips won’t give you a lower insurance premium in six weeks, they’ll save you money in two ways: the first is that fit people handle stress better, get sick less often, and are less likely to file claims, the second is that as the weight comes off, and you’re back in the normal range for your height and age, you will be able to petition for lower rates, or shop for a new policy!

According to a 2007-2008 survey from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program, almost half of America is taking prescription drugs to the tune of over $234 billion, which is double what it was spending on medications in 1999. “The most commonly used types of drugs included: asthma medicines for children, central nervous system stimulants for adolescents, antidepressants for middle-aged adults, and cholesterol lowering drugs for older Americans”, said the report.

Given the staggering statistics on how prescription medications affect a large population with disease control and health maintenance, it raises awareness to the importance of having a health insurance plan in place, should you need prescription medicines, especially if it’s on an ongoing basis.

Just because a health plan covers prescriptions drugs, it doesn’t mean that your particular prescription is automatically covered. Carriers have to go by their “drug formulary”, which is a list of drugs that have been approved by the specific hospital.

As an alternative to carrying a medical plan that includes drug benefits, some people are opting to get plans that exclude prescription benefits, in order to reduce their monthly premiums. These people are instead obtaining their prescriptions from other organizations that offer a drug discount. Walmart Pharmacies and Costco are examples of pharmacies that offer a drug discount program. Be sure to check with Walmart or Costco to make sure they can discount your particular medication before you opt to take a medical plan that excludes prescription benefits.

Get Active Rhode Island and Save Money

Problem: Your premiums for company health benefits and out-of-pocket costs have sky rocketed.

It may not come as a surprise to you, but in the past ten years company health plans has more than doubled to $3,515 a year on average for families.

So what can you do about it? This month’s issue of Money Magazine offers some great solutions.

• Take advantage of the numerous ways your employer gives you to save money on health care
• During open enrollment sign up for flexible spending account which usually allows for up to $5,000 tax-free (this amount will be cut in half in 2013) for out of pocket medical bills
• Sign up for mail-order prescription plan and switch to preferred or generic drugs. You could save $100+
• Look for incentives that lower your cost such as taking initiative to be healthier. By joining a weight loss program or yoga class you could earn $100 in cash or get a $20 lower monthly premium. However, be warned, some companies are penalizing employees for unhealthy behaviors like smoking or failing to get screened for blood pressure.

Now there is even more incentive to quit your bad habits and start exercising. Bucci Insurance wants to remind you that a healthier you is a happier and wealthier you!