Knowing how to get affordable health insurance in Louisiana or anywhere else has become one of the hottest topics around today. Health coverage has become so expensive that fully 16% of all Louisiana residents can't afford coverage at all.

Let's see if we can't keep you out of the ranks of those who are uninsured.

Look for a group policy. If your place of work doesn't offer group health then ask around at any clubs, groups, associations or organizations that you belong to. Many offer group health to their members. If you don't belong to any clubs or groups that offer group medical ask if any of your friends or family members do. If so, see if you can join.

Joining an HMO or a PPO can save you money over buying an individual policy, but be aware that (especially if you join an HMO) you may not be able to see your favorite doctor. Ask your doctor if he or she is a member of an HMO if that is important to you.

Don't smoke or use chew or any other tobacco product. It's a simple fact of life that smokers and people who use any tobacco product pay more for their medical coverage.

Don't take part in violent or extreme sports or other activities that put your health at risk.

If you drive a fast sports car you also may pay more as well.

If you are over-weight you will pay more for your health premium. Insurance companies want to know your Body Mass Index - or BMI - before you enroll. The higher your BMI the more you'll pay for your coverage.

The good news is, if you can lose even a few pounds you may be able to drop down a rung or two on the company's BMI scale and if you do that it could potentially save you hundreds each year.

Can you afford to increase your co-payment every time you see your doctor? If you can increase your co-payment to 50% then you will save quite a bit. If you don't see your doctor very often then this is an especially good way to reduce the cost of your coverage.

If all else fails consider purchasing a very low-cost super-high deductible health policy. These policies have a deductible of $2,000 or more each year and will not pay for any of your medifcal needs in an average year. The reason people buy these low-cost policies is to protect their home and other assets from a catastrophic illness or accident that runs up medical bills into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars overnight.

Can you afford to pay a larger deductible? The larger your deductible the less you pay each month. The downside is that you will have to come up with your deductible out of your own purse or pocket every year - so you can't agree to pay a larger deductible than you can actually afford.

Buying your health insurance online will always save you money, but you can't get lazy and just look at one of the price comparison websites because each site just compares a handful of companies. If you want to see the prices at all of the companies offering health insurance in Louisiana then you'll need to make your comparisons on at least 3 different sites.

You'll also need to be careful that you enter the exact same information into the form on all 3 websites so that you are comparing the same plan every time. But once you've made your comparisons on 3 different sites then your job is done and you'll know for sure which company will provide you with the lowest-priced health coverage.

You can now consider yourself an expert when it comes to finding ways to get affordable health coverage in Louisiana and saving as much money as possible month after month.