When you first purchase a health insurance plan, you are given an initial premium rate which is locked in for a period of time determined by the insurance company, typically one year. Most often premiums will increase after the first year, but if you move within those first 12 months, you may see an increase in your premium before the year is up. Some health insurance companies like Aetna and Blue Cross have annual rate increases while other companies have rate increases every 6 months. Unfortunately, there is no limit to how much a rate can go up in a given time period, so it is important to know if you buy a community rate product or a "teaser rate." You will need to go through a broker to determine what you are buying, but the companies that have community rates are Blue Cross, Unicare, Aetna, HealthAmerica, Oxford, and Kaiser. It is better to purchase a teaser rate if you intend to be on the plan for less than 2 years and better to purchase a community rate is you intend to be on the plan for more than 2 years.

   Health insurance policy prices are not affected by the number of claims you make. Some health insurance companies offer "guaranteed renewable" coverage regardless of the claims you make or your health status. With this coverage, the company guarantees that they will renew the policy. In health insurance, companies also offer "short-term policies" which are intended to last anywhere from 1 to 12 months. These policies require an underwriting questionnaire, however pre-existing conditions in the last five years are not covered. Short-term plans are only recommended for 1 to 2 months at a time.