Thanks to rising illness rates, increased longevity rates, and skyrocketing medical costs, health insurance rates have more than doubled in the last few years. But you can still get cheap health insurance if you know where to look. Here's where to get free low cost health insurance quotes.

Health Insurance Plans

There are two basic types of health insurance:

1. Indemnity plans, which let you choose your own physician and hospital, but are the most expensive health insurance plans.

2. Managed health care plans - HMOs, PPOs, and POSs - which assign you to a network of physicians and hospitals and are the least expensive plans.

If you want to retain your own doctor and don't mind paying higher insurance premiums and high deductibles, then an indemnity plan is what you want. If you don't mind having to use physicians and hospitals chosen by an insurance company and you want the least expensive health insurance plan, then a managed health care plan is what you're looking for.

Where to Get Free Low Cost Health Insurance Quotes

You can get free health insurance quotes by calling your local health insurance agencies or by going to health insurance company websites, but this will take hours of your time. The quickest and easiest way to get free health insurance quotes is to go to an insurance comparison website where you can get quotes from a number of companies in one place.

The advantages to using an insurance comparison site are:

* You only have to fill out one simple online form to get quotes from multiple companies instead of having to fill out a form for each company.

* Most comparison sites only work with A-rated companies, so if you decide to purchase insurance through them you'll be getting a solid, reliable company.

The best insurance comparison websites feature:

* An online chat feature that allows you to talk with an insurance expert who will answer your questions and help you get your health insurance policy at the best price (see link below.)

* An articles section with tips on how to get the best insurance at the best rate.