Insurance Companies Look At Numbers
By Richard Cantu

Did you know your Body Mass Index (BMI) may make a difference in the rate you pay for your health care insurance? In other words, if you are too heavy in relation to your height, it may cost you extra dollars to obtain health insurance. Think about that for a second and you might realize that makes obvious sense. The more weight your frame is required to carry each day, the higher your risk is for developing many healthcare problems. Health care insurance is about covering you for potential illness, but if you choose to be heavier than the average applicant, your rates will go up to offset the insurance company's risk in taking you on.

Look at it this way. Why would an insurance company agree to take a risk on you if you are at risk health-wise? Remember, the health care insurance industry is a business, and businesses take smart risks, not risks they know will not be profitable.

The average BMI for a male who is 5 feet 11 inches tall requires that he weight 215 pounds or less. Applicants seeking the lowest rates should be sure that they fall at or below this line. If he is over 215 pounds, there may be an increase in coverage rate. A woman 5 feet 5 inches tall should weight 180 pounds or less to get a good insurance rate. If she is over, then she may face paying a higher rate. As with everything in the insurance industry, there are different insurability ranges and various exceptions. Your best option is to talk to a qualified, licensed health insurance agent and have them explain your various options.

So while you might not like eating veggies, lean meat, fewer fats, more fruits and exercising, your body and your health care insurance company will thank you for it. And so will your wallet when you save money on your health care insurance coverage.

Richard Cantu is with Texas Health and Life, a Texas health insurance and Texas life insurance agency in Texas. To learn more, visit http://www.texashealthandlife.com

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