Health savings
accounts established by individuals to pay for medical
expenses. They must be coupled with a qualifying
high-deductible health plan. People can fund the account
up to their maximum deductible or $2,850 for individuals
or $5,650 for families. HSA contributions are
tax-deductible and tax-free when spent on medical
expenses. Employers and employees can contribute to the
accounts, but they are owned by employees who can take
the accounts with them if they change employers.
Consumer-driven health care
combines high-deductible health insurance plans with tax-free health
savings accounts, or HSAs. This movement is fueled by the idea that
giving people more control of their health care will drive down costs
and improve the quality of care.
High-deductible health plans can cost up to half of
what a traditional comprehensive health plan costs. This concept appeals
to many employers who have seen their premiums increase at twice the
rate of inflation for years. When people who pay 100 percent of their
health insurance costs compare an HSA plan with a traditional PPO plan,
they realize that their maximum out-of-pocket costs can be thousands
less with the HSA plan.