Like many things today buying a health insurance plan can be difficult with an enormous number of insurers selling a wide range of plans and all competing aggressively for your business. The key of course lies in finding the best plan to meet your personal needs together with those of your family and to do so at the best possible price.

If you are buying a health plan for the first time, perhaps having to arrange your own cover after years of enjoying coverage under an employer's scheme, then here are 4 straightforward steps that you absolutely have to take to ensure that you purchase the right affordable health insurance plan.

1. Begin by determining just how much you are prepared to pay for a health insurance plan and base your search for a plan on this sum of money.

If you and your family members are all fairly young and healthy then you might discover that it is not too hard to locate excellent comprehensive coverage within your budget. But, if you cannot locate a plan at the price you wish to pay, do not be enticed to spend any more than you can afford!

Get a plan within your budget!

There are many different plans being offered today with a lot of different payment structures. For example, it could suit your needs to find a plan with a high deductible and low monthly premiums that also qualifies for use within a health savings plan. This would have the advantage of permitting you to build up a cash value in your plan to meet the cost of future claims and at the same time qualify for tax relief.

2. Look around and consider plans being offered by a number of companies. Make sure that any company that you are considering provides coverage in your area and will also give you cover if you are traveling out of state either on business or for fun.

3. Once you have pared your search down to perhaps two or three possible insurers, research each company with care to see that they are reputable and financially secure. Often you will find yourself dealing with major providers who have been in business for a very long time and are well-known 'household' names. But, if the company you are considering is not so well known then you must check them out using an online service such as that provided by A. M. Best Company. If you are in any doubt whatsoever about a company then you would probably be best advised to drop it from your list of possible insurers.

4. An excellent sign of just how good an insurer is the number of complaints which it receives from unhappy plan holders. Clearly any insurance company with a high number of complaints and a lot of unhappy customers should be avoided and, thankfully, you can find this information from the National Association of Insurance Commissioner's website.

Health insurance is very much a consumer product nowadays and plans come in every shape and size to suit a multitude of needs. Take the time therefore to familiarize yourself with precisely what is available in your state and find the plan which best meets your own needs. With a bit of time and careful investigation you will invariably find the right affordable health insurance plan.