One thing is certain with healthcare: premiums continue to climb higher.
As a result, more employees may find that health-savings accounts (HSA) have been added to their benefits packets this year, in some cases replacing HMO and PPO offerings.
HSAs are tax-free accounts tied to an insurance policy with a high deductible of $1,250 for an individual and $2,500 for a family. After the deductible is reached, policy holders receive comprehensive coverage.
To ease the burden of those out-of-pocket costs, participants can contribute, pre-tax, up to $2,650 for an individual and $5,250 for a family into an HSA. Withdrawals from HSAs are tax-free as long as they are used for medical purposes.
Unspent HSA money automatically rolls year to year and those funds can either earn interest or be invested into participating mutual funds for greater returns – potentially building a tax-free nest egg for healthcare costs.
Consider it the 401(k) plan for healthcare
Victoria Craig Bunce, director of research and policy at the Council for Affordable Health Insurance, said employers can save between 25 percent and 30 percent on health premiums by switching to an HSA. Those savings usually translate into lower premiums for employees – savings that employees can use to maximize their health savings accounts.
A study by Mellon Human Resources and Investor Solutions in May indicated that 7 percent of the over 360 employers surveyed already offer HSA plans to employees and 32 percent plan to offer them in 2006.