Insurance companies have often been accused of charging too much for what they offer, but now some companies are reversing that trend for a select group of customers. People who are actively taking steps to improve and maintain their overall health are seeing discounts on premiums and other perks from some of the top insurance companies. This not only helps out healthy people who want insurance, but it’s good for the companies because it encourages healthy behavior and helps the companies pay out fewer claims.

Here’s how it works:

Companies have set premiums they charge for customers who want insurance, based on the heath of those customers, their ages, their occupations, and other factors. People who are “high risk” may not get the lowest premiums, and some insurers won’t write a policy for them at all. As medical costs rise, insurers are becoming more particular about who they insure, in an effort to protect their bottom line.

Now, a few insurance companies are realizing that they can save money if they offer better policies, better prices, and more options to people who are healthy and who are actively working to stay that way. Some discounts for current and future customers include:

  • Quitting smoking
  • Losing weight if a person is overweight or obese
  • Getting regular physicals
  • Maintaining a regular exercise program
  • Having screening tests to rule out specific diseases and conditions

People who are interested in taking care of themselves and remaining as healthy as possible will generally get involved with those kinds of behaviors on their own, and if they can prove it they can save some money on their insurance. Being rewarded for being healthy is a simple thing, but it makes a difference in how much money a person spends for his or her insurance and how encouraged he or she is to keep up healthy behaviors.

Both the customer and the insurance company benefit from this arrangement, because the customer has fewer medical problems and the insurance company pays fewer claims. If more people get and stay healthy, that also helps to lower medical costs for everyone, which benefits those who have medical conditions over which they have no control and who are having trouble getting insurance because of those conditions.

Making insurance affordable for everyone should be the goal, and giving people insurance discounts as an incentive to stay healthy is one of the ways in which that can be done. Not everyone will be able to receive these perks, because some individuals are unhealthy despite their best efforts. Despite that, there are generally many ways in which a person can become as healthy as possible, and insurance companies are looking to reward as many people as possible.

Talking with insurance companies about health needs and coverage options is a good way to find out which ones offer discounts. Anyone who isn’t sure about an insurance company’s rate or whether that company offers perks should simply ask, so he or she can determine whether that is the right company for his or her needs. If a person’s health status changes for the better, and his or her current insurance company doesn’t offer any incentives for that, it may be time to see who will. More companies are offering incentives to healthy people every day.