In today's troubled economic times, we all need to find ways to stretch our dollars. While clipping coupons at the store and turning off unneeded lights help, there is one place where we can cut corners that most people often ignore-health insurance dollars. Sometimes, health insurance quotes will get you a less expensive policy, but that is not the only option that you have. There are several ways to stretch your health insurance dollars, without sacrificing needed health care.

Let us face it-health insurance is expensive. The average family with employee health benefits spends 8 percent of their monthly budget on health-related expenses. The average family with private health insurance spends even more, up to 15 percent. This article will look at three ways that your family can stretch its health insurance dollars.

There are times when it may be a good idea to replace your current health care plan with a new one. You can quickly and easily shop for lower health insurance quotes online. When looking for a cheaper health plan to stretch out your health insurance dollar, remember to make sure that you are not paying more out of pocket expenses than you were before; otherwise, there will not be a savings. Also, try to get more bang for your buck, rather than less. Read the fine print of the new policy carefully and make sure of what you are getting.

When most of us get a prescription from the doctor, we may ask what it is, how to take it and what side effects to watch out for; however, we rarely consider the cost while in the doctor's office, or if we do, we do not say anything. You can save a lot of money on your health care costs by simply speaking up and asking for a generic brand medication instead. Brand name medications cost up to 60 percent more than their generic counter parts, and usually, there is no difference between the two medications.

An emergency is an emergency, and you should always go to the hospital if the problem is a life-or-death situation. However, there are other cheaper options available to you as well. Many people tend to go to the local hospital when the doctor's office is closed for things that cannot wait overnight or over a weekend. Nevertheless, most of the things that they are seen for do not need emergency services. A broken bone for instance, while painful, can be seen in a walk-in or urgent care center at a small fraction of the cost that a hospital will charge and is usually much faster service as well.