If you’ve ever shopped at a grocery-store chain, you’re familiar with off brands. Everything from frozen garlic bread to toothpaste has a generic version–a great alternative for the frugal shopper. But what if it didn’t matter which brand–or non brand–you bought; you’d pay a flat rate. Definitely less of an incentive to scour the isles for the cheapest______ (you fill in the blank.)

We’re a penny-pinching culture in many respects; opting for the bargains of Wal-Mart over the pricier mom and pop joints–except when it comes to health insurance. We blindly seek services and make purchases we may not need. Ignorance is much to blame. The medical field has long been shrouded in mystery. And only since the advent of the internet and WebMD could you figure out what might be ailing you without seeking care. But reliance on doctors’ visits, meds and costly procedures are causing premiums to soar.

In an effort to make people more cognizant of their health-care expenses, the government and insurance companies have come up with alternative health-insurance plans that put the reigns in the hands of those most affected by high health-insurance premiums–you, the consumer. Unfortunately, much of the cost is also shifted to insurance consumers. The idea being that if you’re footing more of the bill, you’ll be more cost-conscious.

Enter Health Savings Accounts and Consumer-Directed Health Plans (CDHP.) Both have high deductibles as a trade off for lower premiums. Some CDHPs even have an HSA component so that you can put away money for future medical expenses.

It’s worth the gamble if you stay healthy, but is a gamble nonetheless. That’s why many consumers are hesitant about opting for the nontraditional types of coverage. As always, it’s about your financial and familial situation. For example, if you have young children who play sports, a CDHP may end up costing you, something Judy Rosenthal found out the expensive way when she chose a CDHP this year and her son was injured playing baseball.

When deciding between an HSA or CDHP and a more standard plan, you’re acting as the insurer, weighing your family’s risk against the possible savings and making an educated choice. If nothing else, the creation of consumer-driven health care might make people more aware of how much they would spend if paying out-of-pocket for their medical expenses and maybe seek out bargains like they do for just about everything else.