The insurance company I would like to enroll in has a 2000 deductible. How is that paid? Do I pay it off monthly or annually? Do I pay it only if something major happens? Do I pay it by paying fully regular office visits until I reach 2000 in expenses?. I have no idea. But 2000 dollars is a lot and I do not know if I can afford to pay it. Should I stay with my current blue cross insurance with high monthly payments (300v dollars for my husband and I) but only 250 dollar deductible?

A deductible is the amount of money you must pay out of pocket before the insurance kicks in. When you go in for medical care, you'll pay for your care up to $2,000 worth, then the insurance company will pay depending on your copay.

Frankly, it all depends on your needs. If you're in and out of the doctor's office or hospital on a regular basis, then the lower deductible would be a better choice. If you're relatively healthy, then you could go with the higher deductible. Most medical facilities have a payment plan.

You have to look at the overall picture. What is your portion of cost with each plan once you've met all deductibles? Does one pay at a higher percentage rate than the other? Do you have a lower co-pay (the amount your responsible to pay for each visit) with one plan over the other? What benefits do each offer? Are there participating providers for each plan? If you already have a primary care physician that you like, will you be able to stay with them or will you have to start over with a new doctor? When you look at the overall picture, sometimes it doesn't seem so bad to pay a little higher monthly for service you've become use to.

Good luck!