High deductible health insurance is an irritation for young, healthy families with modest incomes. In fact, health insurance with, say, a $10,000 deductible is almost like not having health insurance at all.

So, what can be done? One option is to buy down the deductible by paying a higher premium for less exposure. But people who try that often confront an unpleasant reality: the extra insurance you can obtain by buying down the deductible is the most expensive insurance there is. In fact, eventually you will reach a point where an extra dollar of coverage costs more than a dollar of premium.