A recent study by OptumHealth concludes that 78% of HSA accountholders believe that HSA’s should be a part of any health care reform that may take place. The study states that 30% would have no health insurance if it were not for their health savings account.
This study may take some of the political sting out of the debate about HSA’s. Democrats contend that HSA’s are just a way for the rich to store and keep more of their money from Washington. The study shows that 70% of the respondents earn less than $75,000 per year.
America’s Health Insurance Plan recently reported that 8 million Americans are now insured through a health savings account. This figure is up from 6.1 million in 2008. The AHIP study reports that almost half of the accountholders have a median income of $50,000 per year.
A typical American household of four enrolled in a ppo plan spends $2,820 per year in out of pocket medical expenses according to the Milliman Medical Index. Many studies show the premiums for a high deductible health plan which must accompany a health savings account have much lower premium costs than ppo plans. With a HSA you can choose the deductible you want, or the premium you can afford.
Many are concerned that with a high deductible plan you will pay more in out of pocket expenses. That’s where professional medical bill negotiators like INSNET help individuals. They provide risk free medical bill review and negotiation. They charge a percentage of the amount saved on your medical bill, with no fee if there is no savings.
There are certainly many facets involved in healthcare reform, but empowering individuals to attempt to control their own costs certainly makes sense to me.
June 2, 2009 at 3:33 am |
People can’t be forced to get insured, but if their numbers have increased significantly over the past few years then I think it’s a very good sign.