Everyone in Alabama, it seems, is desperate for cheap medical insurance. And it's no wonder. Of the people who have coverage just over 50% report that the cost of their monthly premium is a severe drain on their budget. And even worse, approximately 16% of all Alabama residents can't afford any health insurance coverage at all. There is some good news, however. There are several ways that YOU can get your health policy at a cheaper rate than you are probably paying for it today.

Let's start with one of the most important ways that you can save money on your coverage - and that's to buy it online. There is no doubt whatsoever that for the vast majority of people who are looking to purchase a health policy their best bet - by far - is to buy their insurance online.

Even if you buy online there are still ways for you to save even MORE.

Don't smoke and don't use chew or any other tobacco product. You've heard that before, of course, but continuing to smoke or to use chew will cost you a LOT of money in higher premium costs. Is it really worth it to you?

There is a rather new form of cheap health coverage that may be of interest to you. It's called a Health Savings Account, or HSA. This is a unique savings account that you fund with cheap tax-free dollars. The money in your HSA account can only be used to pay for medical expenses.

As part of your HSA account you will be required to buy a cheap super-high-deductible medical insurance policy. The deductible on this policy will be so high that the policy will pay absolutely nothing toward your health care in a normal year.

The purpose of this insurance is to act as a safety net should you suffer some type of catastrophic illness or extremely serious accident that might otherwise deplete your life savings or even force you to sell your home or to declare bankruptcy.

But remember, no matter what kind of health plan is right for you the cheapest place you're going to find it is online.