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    Of all the different kinds of insurance that the majority of people are faced with buying, health insurance has become one of the least affordable. In fact, fully 16% of all West Virginia residents report that they can no longer afford to pay for health insurance at all.

Let's hope you're not among that 16%. With any luck we'll find ways in this article for you to lower the cost of your health insurance to the point where it no longer makes you sick just to pay your monthly premium.

Eating healthy and developing a healthy lifestyle should be one of your first goals. The fewer times you have to see a doctor each year the less you'll pay for health care. Cut out fried foods, cut fast food down to no more than once or twice a week.

Get at least a little exercise. Walk around the block or join a group that walks in the Mall every morning. Ride a bike or swim half a dozen laps every day. Some exercise is better than no exercise and will help to keep you out of your doctor's office.

Speaking of doctor's offices, can you afford to increase your co-payment to 50%? If you can this will save you money each month on your premium. Increasing your co-pay is an especially good idea for people who do not see their doctor on a regular basis.

Don't smoke and don't use chew. You already know the facts. If you smoke or use chew you will pay more for your health insurance than you will if you don't. If you're truly serious about getting the best rates on health insurance in West Virginia then you'll stop smoking.

The same goes for your weight. Insurance companies use what they call a Body Mass Index (or BMI) to help determine how much of a premium you'll pay for your health insurance. The good news is that if you can shed even a few pounds you might drop down on your insurance company's BMI scale. If you can drop down even one or two notches it could potentially save you hundreds of dollars a year.

Can you find a group health insurance plan you can join? If one isn't offered through your work try checking with any organizations or associations or clubs that you or anyone you know belongs to. Lots of clubs and organizations offer their members low-cost group health insurance.

If you have a home-based business it's possible you can qualify for group rates no matter how small your business is. But in any event you should ask your tax advisor if there is any way to make your premium payments at least partly tax deductible. A tax deduction could make your health insurance much more affordable.

Pay your premium automatically from your checking account. If your insurance company does not have to bill you every month there is a small savings to you.

Don't take part in any organized extreme sports and don't drive a fast sports car.

Review your deductible. If you can afford to increase your deductible then you'll pay less each month for your health insurance. But don't increase your deductible any more than you can honestly afford to pay.

Finally, buy your health insurance online. Don't make the mistake of just looking at the results of one health insurance price comparison website. If you really want to find the lowest health insurance rate available in West Virginia then you'll need to take the extra time to make price comparisons on a minimum of 3 different websites.

Also, it is important that you enter the same information into the form on all 3 websites so you are comparing the same health insurance policy each time.

But once you've taken the time to make comparisons on 3 different sites then your work is done. Just look at the results and choose the lowest-priced policy. This is really all you need to do in order to get the best rates on health insurance in West Virginia.

   For a long time, gamblers in West Virginia had to travel somewhere else to play blackjack games, craps games, roulette games, etc. The only casino gambling action available to them was slot machine gambling and horse betting. But recently, Wheeling Island Gaming and Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort received permission to add table games to their offerings. So the gamblers who used to travel to Indiana can now get their blackjack fix a little closer to home.

Blackjack isn't the only new game that's available to gamblers in the area. Texas holdem grows ever more popular, and both of the locations already mentioned now have poker card rooms where aspiring Doyle Brunsons can now go all-in and hope they don't get a bad flop.

Wheeling Island Gaming

Wheeling Island Gaming is located on an island in the Ohio River. The casino offers a tropical island ambience including a waterfall and multiple faux-palm trees. The island itself is only about 2 miles long, and Wheeling Island Casino offers several restaurants and bars. Be warned that this casino is extremely popular, and the blackjack games there are a big attraction. You should be prepared to wait if you want to play blackjack at any stakes lower than $50 per hand. (The higher stakes tables aren't as crowded.)

Gamblers who are tired of slot machines, blackjack, and craps can step outside and spend some time betting on the dog races that are also offered at the location. Or if you're not the rough and rugged outdoors-y type, you can watch the races from inside as well.

Mountaineer Casino Racetrack

The Mountaineer Casino Racetrack is located in the countryside, somewhat removed from the rest of civilization. Like Wheeling Island Gaming, the Mountaineer offers multiple restaurants and bars. They have a radically different decor and theme though, favoring a 1920's gangster/speakeasy decor over the tropical island theme present at Wheeling Island. The casino is a little bit larger, and finding a lower stakes blackjack table with a seat open is a little bit easier here.

And if you get tired of gambling, a golf resort is located nearby, so you can get some fresh air and exercise while taking a break from the tables and the slot machines.

Some Blackjack Advice

If you're new to blackjack strategy, here are a few tips for how to minimize the house edge:

* When you're not sure about the correct play, assume that the dealer has a ten as her hole card, and also assume that you're going to be dealt a ten. The deck has more tens in it than any other card, so this is a decent assumption about what's going to happen next, and the basic strategy decisions become pretty obvious.
* Always split aces and eights. If you've got aces, you get twice as many chances at a blackjack by splitting. And you'll often draw a ten when you hit. 10+8=18, which is a mighty respectable blackjack hand any time.
* Never split fours, fives, or tens. A pair of fours is a hard total of eight, which means you're next card, if it's a ten, will be an eighteen, which is a mighty good hand. (Two hands with a total of fourteen each would be a bummer to play though.) A pair of fives is a total of ten, so doubling down is a good idea here, since you're hoping to catch an ace for a 21 or a ten for a total of 20. And a pair of tens is a total of 20, which is an outstanding hand no matter what.
* Don't play with money you can't afford to lose.
* For more blackjack strategy advice, including a hand-by-hand guide to basic strategy, visit Blackjack Hero's blackjack basic strategy tutorial.
* To practice a little blackjack online before your tips, try the free blackjack games available with no download at Free Flash Blackjack.

Good luck at the tables in West Virginia. The house has the edge unless you're counting cards, but you're the one having big fun.