Health insurance costs are a hot-button topic right now. The problem is being debated at the highest levels of government and it's possible that someday a solution to this problem will be reached. In the meantime it is up to each and every one of us to do whatever is necessary to find ways of reducing the cost of our health care insurance on our own.

Fortunately there are ways for you to reduce your health insurance costs and we're going to explore a few of them here.

If you're really serious about reducing your cost of health insurance then we need to start with your lifestyle. Do you smoke? Do you use chew or any other tobacco product? If so, then you are not helping your cause. Tobacco users pay 30% to 50% more for health insurance than non-smokers.

If you smoked when you took out a health insurance policy but you have since quit it is important that you let your insurance agent know this as it can trigger a reduction in your monthly premium payment.

What's your weight like? Being overweight also increases the cost of health insurance. Losing weight is more difficult than quitting smoking for most Americans, but the good news is that if you can lose even a few pounds you may move down one rung on the insurance company's weight chart and that could potentially save you hundreds of dollars every single year.

If you regularly participate in any type of extreme or dangerous sport or hobby then you will not get the best rates on health insurance in Alabama or any other state. The same goes for driving a fast sports car or driving most muscle cars.

Anything you do that puts your life or health at risk is going to increase your health insurance premium.

Buying group health insurance can save you a lot of money. If your work-place does not offer group health insurance then ask around at all of the clubs, organizations or groups that you belong to. A surprising number offer group health insurance to their members. Ask your friends if any group, club or organizations that they belong to offers group health insurance. If so, consider joining.

Ask at your place or worship. Many church groups offer discount health insurance to their members.

Use credit cards wisely. Believe it or not, your credit report affects how much you pay for your health insurance. The healthier your credit score the less you'll pay for your health insurance.

When was the last time you checked your co-pay percentage? Many people start out paying 20% or 25% as a co-payment when they visit their doctor's office. If you can afford to increase your co-pay to 50% you will save a tremendous amount every month on your health premium. This tactic works best for people who do not see their doctor on a regular basis.

Can you afford to increase your deductible? This is a serious question and you should give it some real thought. The higher your deductible the lower your monthly health insurance premium - but by the same token, the higher your deductible the more money you have to pay out of your own pocket or purse each year before you can ask your insurance company to help you out. Don't offer to pay more than you can comfortably afford.

Finally it's time to go online and find at least three of the websites designed to let you compare prices on health insurance policies from different insurance companies.

You'll have to fill out the form on at least 3 websites if you want to be sure of seeing the prices from every insurance company in Alabama and you have to be careful to enter the exact same information on each form so that you are comparing the same policy each time, but once you are finished all you need to do is to find the company with the best rate and your job is done!