How Age & Lifestyle Factors Affect Health Insurance Costs

Don't think that just because you are in amazing health for a 66-year-old or have stopped smoking that your insurer will drop your rates. Your age or the fact that you have smoked in the past will affect your rates.

Older Customers

• Age is a critical factor for health insurers when they determine premiums. The assumption is, the older you are the more likely you are to have expensive conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease, and in turn, the more expensive you are to insure.

Pregnancy

• Women who buy individual health insurance plans and need pregnancy and childbirth coverage often find the cost is high.

  "Most individual policies will have a huge deductible when it comes to maternity," said Scott Leavitt of the National Association of Health Underwriters, according to the website Bankrate. The deductible is sometimes half the cost of care for the entire pregnancy.

Lifestyle Factors

• Factors such as smoking and heavy drinking will raise health insurance costs because of the increased health care costs associated with these conditions. However, more lifestyle factors are influencing your health insurance rates than just smoking and drinking.

  Living a sedentary lifestyle or being overweight can also cost you when it comes time to purchase health insurance. Lack of exercise and obesity are known contributors to many health conditions.

  The website Insure.com warns that "dangerous hobbies and recreational activities such as skydiving, mountain climbing" can also contribute to your health insurance costs.

Pre-Existing Conditions

• Age or lifestyle factors, when coupled with pre-existing conditions, might preclude you from buying health insurance at all because many insurers refuse to write policies for those with expensive conditions. And, when insurance is offered, it's often at an exorbitant cost. Sometimes, insurers will offer those with pre-existing conditions a policy that excludes coverage for the pre-existing condition, which may cut the cost of insurance, but in the long run can be just as expensive.