When you need new health coverage, you may want to get several prices before deciding what one to buy. However, if you have never purchased this type of policy, then you may not know for sure what factors go into figuring out your price.

Before you shop for new policies, you need to realize what these factors are and adjust the ones within your control. You can then get several health insurance quotes that may fall better within your budget and accommodate your healthcare needs.

Tobacco Use

Before insurers provide health insurance quotes for new clients, they often ask if potential subscribers have used tobacco in the past six months to a year. Tobacco use can make you more of a liability to insure. Habits, such as smoking and chewing tobacco, can cause you to develop cancers or lung illnesses, such as COPD, faster than if you did not use tobacco at all.

If you use tobacco, then you can expect your health insurance quotes to be priced higher than if you did not. However, if you are not a smoker and do not chew, then your health insurance quotes may be more affordable because the insurers do not deem you as much of a liability to insure.

Age

Another factor that goes into your health insurance quotes is your age. Insurers generally deem younger subscribers as less of a liability to insure than middle-aged people and senior citizens.

If you are relatively young, particularly in your 20s or 30s, then you may pay less for your health insurance because younger people typically suffer from fewer chronic ailments like high blood pressure or heart disease. However, if you are in your 50s or older, then your premiums might be higher because the insurer anticipates you using your coverage regularly to treat hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses.

Location

Finally, the state in which you live can affect the prices found in your health insurance quotes. If you live in a crowded city with a lot of traffic, then you might get higher health insurance quotes than if you lived in a rural area. Cities are associated with riskier living because of higher crime rates and more traffic.

These factors are a few that go into figuring out your health insurance quotes. The price you pay may be based on your use of tobacco, how old you are, and where you live.