As medical costs keep rising and people are unsure when an emergency might strike, many consumers turn to a health insurance plan to protect themselves from exorbitant medical bills. But finding the right plan to fit one's insurance needs can be a time consuming activity. Many consumers end up purchasing a substandard health insurance plan out of frustration, as they do not want to waste any more time on the phone and meeting with different insurance brokers. Fortunately, there are online health providers out there, providers whose policies can be looked up, compared and purchased online. By allowing individuals to save money on insurance policies and save time on insurance shopping, these online health providers have continued to grow in popularity amongst consumers.

Consumers find shopping with online health providers attractive for a number of reasons. One such reason is that they allow consumers to circumvent insurance brokers when purchasing their policies.

Insurance brokers take a commission from each policy that they sell, so purchasing a policy without a broker means that insurance shoppers will pay less on their insurance plans. Insurance brokers have no interest in providing consumers with the most cost-effective policy on the market, as cheaper policies mean smaller commissions, and they generally only offer a limited number of policies and providers for individuals to choose from. Finding an insurance provider online, on the other hand, allows individuals to choose from the best plans on the market, from some of the industry's leading insurance providers.

Another factor in the growing popularity of online health insurance providers is the presence of websites devoted to online health insurance quotes. These websites are free of charge and allow consumers to input personal information about themselves and anyone else they want covered by the policy to determine which health insurance plan best meets their insurance needs.

These insurance quote websites are extremely easy to use. Once customers have filled out the quotes form, they will be able to compare different plans from the industry's leading insurance providers side-by-side. With the deductible amount, plan type, the price of the plan and the insurance provider all listed in an easy to understand format, these insurance quote websites allow consumers to make informed decisions on their insurance policies.

Due to the growing popularity of online health insurance plans, many of the insurance industry's top insurance providers are now offering online plans. A small sample of online insurance providers includes Blue Shield, Blue Cross, Kaiser, Unicare, Shield and Anthem.

By allowing consumers to save both time and money when choosing an insurance plan, online health insurance providers can be expected to continue to grow in popularity for years to come.