A new health insurance plan will charge high-risk individuals more than healthy beneficiaries.

According to The Courier Post, new policies from United Healthcare will reward healthy people by charging them lower health care premiums.

Who's at risk for higher medical coverage rates?

• overweight
  
• smokers
  
• high cholesterol
  
• high blood pressure
  

The plan is meant to reward individuals who maintain good health. In order to receive a discount, members of the plan will take voluntary tests once a year to see if they meet blood pressure, cholesterol and height/weight goals, in addition to not smoking.

There's some controversy about this plan because some health advocates believe that these types of incentives turn health care into a police state. But supporters of the plan like that employees are held more responsible for managing health care costs.

High-risk members of the plan could end up paying as much as $2000 more per year than their healthier counterparts.

While we at the Insurance HQ agree with Jamie Court of the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights who states, "You need to educate [people] and make it safe for them to seek medical treatment, without fear of financial penalties", we also advocate a healthy lifestyle.

Therefore, it may be a good idea for individuals and families who want to save money on health insurance to start thinking about how they can proactively manage their health care costs by managing their health.

At the Insurance HQ, we advocate a healthy lifestyle combined with affordable health insurance in order to live a long, healthy life. So we're happy to report on a study that found eating chocolate (in small amounts) is actually good for you!

According to The Hindu, a study by researcher Dr. Dirk Taubert found that people who ate 6 grams of dark chocolate per day had lower blood pressure than those who ate white chocolate.

Dark chocolate contains flavanols, the same plant-based compounds found in red wine. Flavanols are beneficial for the heart and may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

It's important to remember that only small amounts of chocolate are recommended. Weight gain caused from eating too much chocolate would counteract any blood pressure benefits, according to Dr. Laura Svetkey of Duke University.

Dr. Taubert's study included 44 people who ate just over 6 grams a day for five months - the equivalent of one square from the German chocolate bar Ritter Sport. The steady exposure to dark chocolate dilated blood vessels and regulated blood pressure.

So if you and your family are doing all the right things, including keeping a healthy diet, getting moderate exercise and making sure you have the right family health insurance, treat yourself to a little bit of chocolate - it may actually be good for you!

Before you send a child off to college, make sure your child has health insurance. Medical coverage is important for college students, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Most colleges and universities require all students to have health insurance. Health plans are often offered by schools, but shop around in order to find the best value. You may even save money by keeping your current family health insurance plan.

Research your current medical plan, if you have one, to make sure that college students are covered. Different plans have varying cut-off ages for children ranging from 18-25.

The type of health plan you have is especially important if your child's college is far from home. If you have PPO health coverage, find doctors near the college who participate in your network - this will help ensure that more of the bill is covered by your health insurance company.

If you have an HMO, you may want to consider switching to a PPO because many HMO's only cover emergency visits outside the service area. In strict HMO's, a student may have to come home in order to receive medical care. Some HMO's however, have guest privileges that enable students to visit a different doctor near the student's college.

Another option is for your child to receive care from the school clinic. School clinics can often provide treatment for common ailments, but overnight facilities are rare on school campuses.

If you don't have family health insurance or school health insurance, many health insurance companies offer affordable student health insurance plans that are less expensive than a regular individual health insurance policy.

Student health insurance plans cost about $1000 per year, and about 30% of college students currently have this type of coverage. Many international students buy private student health insurance plans.

If you decide to purchase private student health insurance, consider getting a plan that covers at least $100,000 in medical expenses. And make sure you understand what is and isn't covered. Some things aren't covered, such as injuries resulting from mountain climbing, drinking alcohol or attempted suicide.

Whichever policy you select, make sure you carry your health insurance card with you.