The high cost of health insurance is a growing concern for the vast majority of the population. Many families with young children spend more than 10 percent of their monthly budget on health care, and healthy older folks from the ages of 40 to 64 pay more than double the rate that a 20-year-old pays for the exact same policy. The high premiums of your health insurance plan may actually be more than you should be paying.

The good news is there may be hope in site. A few minutes of your time and a little knowledge can have you saying goodbye to your high premiums and happily ordering a new health insurance plan. Just log onto the Internet, do a little comparison shopping and find a new policy.

The difference in health insurance is more in what is not covered rather than what is covered. You need to take a closer look at your health insurance to see if the plan that you have is meeting all of your basic needs. Do a comparison search for a new health insurance plan and actually pay close attention to the fine print. You know what coverage you need and what deductibles you can pay, so try and find a policy that matches your needs.

Consider joining your spouse's health insurance policy, if possible. Many times, the total cost of a family policy is much lower and covers more than the cost of a single policy.

A single male should not need to pay insurance coverage for things like prenatal care, but many health insurance plans may include such coverage. If you are stuck with paying high premiums for health insurance that you do not use, perhaps it is time to search for a new insurance policy. A healthy single man who needs to visit the doctor for yearly checkups may wish to look into a plan with a higher deductible and less coverage, while a family with six kids may need a lot more coverage and lower deductibles.

Two mistakes that many people make is using brand name prescriptions rather than generic drugs and going to the wrong type of care center. These mistakes can add a lot to your overall cost of health care. Simply choosing generic drugs can actually lower costs by up to 40 percent. Moreover, going to an after-hours clinic such as a walk-in or urgent care center, instead of the hospital, will make a huge difference in the total cost of your health care. An urgent care or walk-in medical clinic is usually covered under your health insurance plan, but will cost much less than a hospital.