Health Savings Accounts Put You in Control of Your Healthcare
Fort Collins, CO (PRWEB) July 26, 2006
As Health Savings Accounts grow in popularity, there is growing fear among those who want to nationalize healthcare that they will not be able to put the cat back in the bag. There are already over 3 million HSA owners, and by 2010, the Treasury Department estimates as many as 45 million Americans will be covered by HSA plans. They will have billions of dollars invested to cover future medical expenses, and by then it will be politically impossible to take that benefit away.
With a high-deductible health insurance plan, money is invested tax-free into a Health Savings Account. There are different types of investments to choose from — anything from savings accounts or money market funds, to stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Invested wisely, an account could accumulate over $ 500,000 by retirement. That money can be used to pay for healthcare, tax free. And best of all, it affords the freedom of choice when paying for healthcare.
If proponents of a single-payer system were to ever have their way, individuals would be at the mercy of a government bureaucrat when it comes to their healthcare. To see what this might look like, all one has to do is look at the state of health care in Canada, England, New Zealand, and the parts of Europe that have not yet abandoned single-payer systems.
Proponents of a single-payer system tend to point to Canada or England as countries that cover all their citizens with quality healthcare, while spending less money per person than the U.S. But if we look a little closer, we see that these publicly financed health insurance systems are breaking down, the quality is low, and the costs can be quite high. Here’s what Canadians have to deal with if they need medical care:
Long waits. Hundreds of Canadians go to Detroit and other U.S. cities every year for procedures like CAT scans, which they can obtain treatment in a matter of days. In Canada, the wait is typically six months. Currently 876,000 Canadians are on waiting lists for medical procedures.
Difficulty in getting life-enhancing procedures done. If a Canadian is having a heart attack, they will be treated right then. But if the surgery is considered “elective” (meaning that possible death is not eminent), the wait could be months or years. Average wait for cataract removal is 18 months. Average wait for a knee replacement is one year.
Increased risk of dying. The average Canadian waits eight weeks to see a specialist, and another nine weeks before getting treated. This is even the case with conditions that are likely to get much worse if there is any delay in treatment. For example, the median time for a mastectomy is 14 weeks, enough time for the cancer to spread to other parts of the body. In fact, 28% of those diagnosed with breast cancer in Canada die from it, while the mortality ratio in the U.S. is only 25%.
Things don’t look any better across the ocean. Each year the British National Health Service cancels 410,000 surgeries because of resource shortages. According to the London Sunday Times, there are currently over 1 million Brits awaiting elective surgery. Thomas Cook, a British travel agency, is even considering offering “sun-and-surgery” packaged trips to Indian hospitals for British citizens fed up with low standards and long waiting times for surgery.
The British and Canadian governments have the power to make healthcare “free”, but they are unable to control its costs. So the costs become longer (and potentially fatal) delays, and fewer innovations.
It’s not surprising what is happening. Universal health insurance systems always encourage over-consumption by patients, and such over-consumption always leads to financial crises. The result is inevitably broken promises about universal access and quality care. Because there are always limited resources, single-payer systems tend to overspend on primary care for the healthy, while denying more expensive specialist care to those with serious medical problems. This is because most people (voters) are healthy most of the time, and the sick and dieing are less likely to be able to organize into a political force.
What makes the United States such a great country is the “freedoms” we enjoy. Though our freedoms seem to be constantly under attack, there is still no nation in the world that has the freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of association, or the free markets that we have in the United States. As anyone who understands even a smidgen of economics knows, free markets encourage competition and innovation, which lead to lower prices and better quality.
Though the U.S. system of health care can not really be considered a “free-market”, it is certainly much more free than any single payer system. Some of the benefits we see as a result of our current healthcare system include:
U.S. medicine produces the best outcomes for virtually every patient, from premature babies to elderly cancer patients.
American companies are the chief source worldwide of new treatments and procedures which each year are used to save millions of lives.
U.S. medical training and research facilities are the best in the world.
Though Canadians might have to wait a year or two for hip replacement surgery, they can get the same operation done on their dog in less than a week. This is because veterinarians are competing for that business, finding innovative ways to deliver service more quickly and less expensively. Another example is laser eye surgery, a procedure that is rarely covered by insurance, so laser eye surgeons must compete on the basis of cost and quality. While costs for most medical procedures have been going up every year, the cost for this procedure has dropped by 80% over the past decade.
Unfortunately, U.S. healthcare policies still tend to limit competition, restrict consumer’s freedom to choose, and discourage consumers from shopping for value. Thus, there are too few choices and there has been little attention paid to price and quality of service. The answer is clearly not more government intervention, but instead letting competition and the power of the marketplace drive down prices and increase quality and access to care.
Health Savings Accounts are the Solution
There is increasing recognition that third-party health insurance payers are actually a major cause of escalating medical costs and the decline in the quality of service. The increasing adoption of HSA plans has already begun to cause greater transparency and competition in the medical marketplace. There are now physicians available by phone, medical kiosks setting up in malls, doctors that accept only cash (and charge significantly less), and others competing directly for the consumer’s healthcare dollar.
Don’t be fooled by the politicians who advocate a single-payer system, claiming their only concern is the uninsured. If a single body (such as a government bureaucracy) controls healthcare, they control one seventh of the national economy. And everywhere in the world that central control of the economy has been tried, it has been a colossal failure.
As public policy reforms centered on individual choice continue to gain wider footholds, the result will be greater prosperity, greater choice, and a better value for all. The culture of dependence and entitlement will begin to fade, as millions of individuals demand further policy reforms that will reinstate the values of freedom and personal responsibility that helped establish this great nation.
As more consumers turn to health savings accounts, the market will respond. Innovative providers will begin to compete more on price and quality of service, and those that provide the best value will get wealthy doing so. And all consumers will benefit.
By Wiley Long – President, HSA for America (http://www.health–savings–accounts.com). HSA for America makes it easy for people to learn about and set up health savings accounts that best meet their needs at the lowest premiums available. “The Complete Consumer’s Guide to HSAs” report is also available to download.
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Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Health care: Citizens Call Congress Home “Listen to Our Solutions to the Health Care Crisis”
(PRWEB) April 21, 2005
Outraged American citizens from across the country are planning Citizen/Congressional Hearings in sixty cities nationwide. They are calling for their Representatives in Congress to attend these hearings and listen to their constituents address the failures of the profit-based health care system as well as spell out new and creative solutions.
Â?Our representatives need to hear what we have to say and to consider our solutions rather than those being promoted by insurance company lobbyists and drug companies.” They are scheduled for: New York City, May 14th, Riverside Church; Aliquippa, PA, May 21st; Wells, VT, May 30th, Village School; Rochester, June 1st, St. Mary’s Church; Birmingham, AL, June 13th, University of Alabama ; Boston, June 28th, Fanuel Hall
Says Mae Jackson, poet and community activist from Brooklyn, “BushÂ?s proposed health savings accounts will put a larger burden on our families and increase our suffering. The so-called Â?ownershipÂ? society will continue to move more of our tax dollars into the ownership of private corporate accounts while leaving us with less healthcare and very little money for the priorities of our own families.”
WhatÂ?s new about these congressional hearings?
Marilyn Clement, National Coordinator of the Â?Campaign for a National Health Program NOW,Â? points out that, Â?For the first time in history, citizens themselves are calling for congressional hearings and not the members of congress. Â?Another striking difference is the economic, ethnic and religious diversity of those calling for these Citizen/Congressional Hearings. We all have a stake in compelling congress to end the private interest gravy train thatÂ?s costing the rest of us so much.Â?
Who is involved?
Rural and minority women, doctors and nurses, Catholic sisters, Native American tribes, Asian immigrant women, labor unions, musicians, human rights advocates, American Medical Women, former nurses, people in tiny towns and people organizing huge venues like Fanuel Hall in Boston — all are involved. Not so surprisingly, a number of business people have gotten into the act. They will be testifying to Congress because they canÂ?t sustain the rising payments to the health care industrial complex seen as a barrier to their attempts to cover themselves and their employees.
Events are Beginning:
The first event took place in St. Louis on April 1st. (See report on our website: http://www.cnhpnow.org.)
In Mississippi a group of community organizers, health care activists and Black farmers are planning their Congressional Hearing with Representative Bennie Thompson.
The Lincoln, Nebraska effort is being orchestrated by a musician.
In Dallas plans are afoot to have a Congressional Hearing at a local television station in conjunction with the community.
New York City volunteers plan to orchestrate a congressional tour of a critical VeteranÂ?s Hospital now threatened with closing.
Organizers from smaller rural communities such as Wells, Vermont and Aliquippa, Pennsylvania want to know if their Representatives will grant them an audience.
Tyler, Texas is another surprise organizing effort in a very conservative district.
The Nashville, TN coalition is led by a homeless advocacy group, an international labor union, and groups representing the 323,000 Tennesseans recently removed from TennCare coverage.
Three separate events are being planned in New Jersey by Health Care for All.
The Detroit hearing is being organized by labor leaders and community organizations.
The Cleveland hearing will be led by a PNHP medical professor and the head of Health Ministries for the United Church of Christ.
Hearings are planned in four Colorado cities: Pueblo, Alamosa, Denver and Fort Collins.
Kentucky organizers are first holding a dozen county hearings all over the state in preparation for their state hearing.
Chicago, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas will hold hearings later in the year or early in 2006.
What is causing this uprising?
“We’ve had enough,” says Jackson. “We cannot continue to sustain these attacks, profit-taking from our pockets, cutbacks of services, personal bankruptcies, unnecessary pain and deathÂ?”
These ad hoc Citizen/Congressional Hearings were first proposed in a December mass-emailing from Â?The Campaign for a National Health Program NOW!Â? The response from across the country was enthusiastic and has quickly led to the flurry of activity outlined above.
“We expect a lot more of these hearings between now and the 2006 Congressional elections,” said Marilyn Clement in a recent interview. “The citizens will be watching to see if our Representatives respond to us or whether they will continue business as usual.”
For more information:
The Campaign for the National Health Program Now
339 LAFAYETTE, NYC 10012
http://www.cnhpnow.org
info@cnhpnow.org
212-475-8350
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©Copyright 1997-
, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Related Insurance Fort Collins Press Releases
New Study: Estimated $ 240,000 in Health Care Costs for Retirement – HSA for America Discusses Options to Preparing for Health Care Cost in Retirement
Fort Collins, CO (PRWEB) May 15, 2009
As the cost of health care rises across the country, many individuals are wondering just how their anticipated health care expenses will impact their ability to retire. According to a recent study, individuals retiring at the age of 65 will need to have at least $ 240,000 saved in order to pay for their health care expenses during retirement alone, leaving many individuals to wonder whether or not retirement is truly an option. “Health savings accounts are become a necessity for retirement,’ said WIley Long, President of HSA for America.
“The results of these recent studies indicate that individuals will need to make some real choices about their retirement and spending,” said Wiley Long, President of HSA for America. “Currently, the typical retirement age is 65 years old. However, if an individual can’t afford to pay for health care, then the individual may have to either put off retirement or be unable to pay for their health care. Either way, we’re finding that our customers are growing increasingly concerned about their ability to obtain and pay for health care expenses, especially as they approach retirement.”
To save for these inevitable expenses during retirement, many people are setting up Health Savings Accounts. “An HSA allows you to put aside pre-tax dollars to cover future medical expenses,” explained Long. “The money grows tax-deferred like an IRA, but is never taxed if used to pay medical bills.”
Health savings accounts, or HSAs, can be established by anyone who has a qualifying high-deductible health plan. These plans are designed to help make healthcare affordable through a combination of the low premiums that come with a high-deductible health insurance plan, and the tax savings from putting money aside in the HSA. That money can then be used to pay future medical expenses, tax-free.
“We specialize in helping our clients find the perfect long-term arrangement for their health care needs,” said Long. “HSA plans are often the most affordable and effective health care plan solutions for many of our customers, but a full needs analysis of each individual’s situation is always necessary to ensure that our customers get the best possible plan.”
Many people are funding their HSAs with the hope that they will stay healthy, and not need to withdraw the money. “Because the money grows tax-deferred, you can think of it as an additional retirement account”, said Long. If money is later needed to pay a medical expense during retirement, that money can be withdrawn from the HSA tax-free.
More About HSA for America
HSA for America offers a wide spectrum of health insurance and Health Savings Account (HSA) programs for individuals, families, and businesses. Their online quoting platform lets website visitors compare rates on numerous plans, and apply for coverage right online.
For more information about HSA for America programs, visit http://www.health–savings–accounts.com.
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©Copyright 1997-
, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Many Health Savings Account Owners Make IRA Transfer
Fort Collins, CO (PRWEB) July 1, 2008
Eligible individuals can now make a one-time tax-free transfer of individual retirement account (IRA) funds to start a health savings account (HSA) under the guidelines set down in IRC Sec. 223. Under the amendment, employees can use what was originally in their IRA to pay for medical benefits without having to pay for the 10% additional tax under IRC Sec. 72(t).
The legislation also allows you to use of existing funds in your IRA as a source of tax-free contribution to your existing HSA. Wiley Long, president of HSA for America, explained the benefits of this strategy. “It makes a lot of sense to transfer money from your IRA to your HSA, particularly if you don’t have enough cash on hand to fully fund it for the year. Once that money is transferred the HSA, you can spend it on medical expenses without ever being taxed on the money. This is a tremendous financial benefit.” HSA for America is one of the leading providers of HSA-qualified health insurance plans for American small business owners and employees.
The owner of an HSA is also eligible for a second transfer within the same taxable year if he has a self-only high deductible health plan (HDHP) during the period of the IRA transfer, and within that same period purchases family HDHP coverage. The fund distribution remains tax-free. Long says that this strategy has been popular among his customers. “This is a great provision for someone who wants to get their account fully funded, so they know they’ve got the money to cover a deductible. That way, they can carry a higher deductible, lower-priced health insurance plan.”
There are several conditions for eligibility for the tax advantages under the 2006 amendment. The individual making the transfer must remain eligible within 12 months of the IRA to HSA funding distribution, referred to as the “testing period.” If within that period, the individual becomes ineligible, then the transferred amount will be subject to the usual income taxes. Furthermore, the amount transferred will be deducted from the maximum allowed HSA contribution for that year.
Long explained the reason many of his customers are making this transfer. “Having money from an IRA work for immediate medical needs frees up some funds that would otherwise go to tax payments. The value of an HSA is especially high when the account holder is still productive, to stave off the pressures of high taxation and rising medical care costs.”
Transferring funds from an IRA to an HSA enables individuals to reduce their potential tax liabilities, and to also lower their health insurance premiums by switching to higher deductible plans.
HSA for America is one of the leading providers of health savings accounts, health reimbursement accounts, and related information for employees and small business owners across America. HSA accounts are an effective way of saving money on healthcare costs and taxes and have an investment module at the very same time. Learn more about Health Savings Accounts at our free weekly teleseminar which you can sign up for at: http://www.health–savings–accounts.com/teleseminar.htm.
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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Deadline Draws Near for 2008 Health Savings Account Tax-Savings
Fort Collins, CO (PRWEB) October 14, 2008
With the upheaval in our economy, there has been quite a surge in the number of people applying for an HSA-qualified health plan. Health Savings Accounts, or HSAs, allow you to put aside pre-tax money to cover future medical expenses. Anyone with a plan effective no later than December 1st is qualified to make a 2008 tax deductible contribution to their HSA, and may be able to reduce the taxes they owe on April 15th by $ 1900 or more.
While conventional co-pay plans continue to be popular, more people are choosing to invest in plans that work with a Health Savings Account. According to Wiley Long, President at HSA for America, “In times like these people are looking for ways to reduce their health insurance expenses and they certainly don’t want to pay more taxes than they have to.” HSA plans have premiums that are much lower than conventional copay plans. And any money deposited into the HSA is tax deductible, which will directly lower your taxable income.
In addition to reducing their premiums and lowering their taxes, HSA holders also are able to begin building a tax-deferred medical retirement account. Any growth to this account is tax-deferred and if a withdrawal is made for medical expenses, that withdrawal is tax-free.
If you have seriously considered making changes to your current health care plan, now is the time to act. You must have your HSA-qualified health insurance in force no later than December 1 in order to take advantage of your 2008 HSA contribution, and receive the accompanying tax reduction. Because the underwriting process can sometimes take a few weeks, most experts recommend that you apply for a plan as soon as possible.
Anyone who does have a plan in place before December 1st will be able to contribute to their HSA for 2008 up to $ 2,900 as an individual, or up to $ 5,800 as a family. People over 55 years old can also make an additional contribution of up to $ 900 to their account. Someone in a 28% tax bracket who makes a $ 5,800 contribution will reduce their April 15th tax bill by $ 1,624 – even more when they count the savings on state income taxes.
Please visit our website at http://www.HSAforAmerica.com to find complete details about available HSA plans. You will also find answers to questions you likely have about these plans and testimonials of people who have already made the switch to an HSA plan. Long stated, “We’ve never been so busy. Everybody is interested in saving money, and finding tax-sheltered ways to save for the future.”
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©Copyright 1997-
, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Tax-free IRA Rollover Increases Demand for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
Fort Collins, CO (PRWEB) December 17, 2007
Last year’s “Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006″ had several provisions that have made it easier to open and fund a Health Savings Account (HSA), including the option of a one-time tax-free rollover from an IRA into the HSA. This change has contributed to the end-of-the-year surge of HSA applications according to leading health insurance broker HSA for America.
“We’re getting a tremendous number of inquiries from people who want to know how they can fund their account with money from their IRA,” said HSA for America President Wiley Long. “HSA-qualified health insurance plans have high deductibles of $ 1,100 or more. By doing a tax-free rollover from their IRA, individuals can immediately fund their account so that the deductible can be covered 100%. That basically removes the risk of going with a high-deductible plan.”
Health Savings Accounts are special tax-favored savings accounts that anyone with a qualified high-deductible health insurance plan can open and fund. Any money put in the account is tax deductible, and can be used tax-free to pay for future medical expenses. If the money is not withdrawn, it continues to grow tax-deferred like an IRA. HSAs first became available in January 2004, and today nearly eight million people are covered by an HSA-qualified health insurance plan.
“HSA plans have much lower premiums than traditional co-pay plans, but they do have a higher deductible. Medical expenses that someone incurs before they meet their deductible can be paid for from the HSA, but if they’ve just opened their HSA they may not have had enough time to accumulate much money in it. The tax-free IRA rollover solves that problem,” said Long.
Both IRAs and HSAs are special tax-favored accounts that can be funded with tax-free money, and that grow tax-deferred. But HSAs have an additional tax advantage over IRAs: if the money is withdrawn to pay for qualified medical expenses, taxes never need to be paid on those funds. This makes HSAs a much preferred way to save for future medical expenses, according to Long.
“According to Fidelity Investments, the average couple retiring in 2007 will need over $ 200,000 to cover medical expenses, not even counting dental, over-the-counter medications, or long-term care. And that amount is going up every year. Those who have an HSA could have thousands of additional dollars available to them to cover these expenses in their retirement years.”
To help people who are buying their own health insurance understand these changes, HSA for America is hosting weekly HSA teleseminars throughout the rest of 2006. “If someone can get their coverage in place before December 31, they can lock in 2007 rates for the next 6 – 24 months, and they can get a tax deduction for contributions made before April 15th.”
The teleseminar is offered to registered participants at no charge. For more information on the teleseminar and how to sign up, please visit our Health Savings Account Teleseminar page.
About HSA for America
HSA for America is the nation’s leading independent health insurance firm specializing in individual and family coverage that works with a Health Savings Account. Through our comprehensive website ( http://www.Health–Savings–Accounts.com ) we offer complete information on Health Savings Accounts and qualifying health insurance plans. We offer instant quotes, online health insurance applications, and access to several banks that can act as an HSA administrator for your account.
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©Copyright 1997-
, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Managing Pharmacy Costs Equates to Lower Health Insurance Premiums for Employers & Employees.
(PRWEB) June 11, 2004
Greenwood Village, CO- June 9, 2004
Prescription drug costs can now account for up to 20% of an employers total health insurance cost structure. Five years ago prescription drug costs represented only 5 to 7% of the total health insurance cost structure.
Many strategies exist that can help manage and lower prescription drug cost up to 25% annually. In addition, employers can be entitled to refunds or overcharges from their current Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM).
Solutions to lowering pharmacy costs include:
Â?Arranging direct contracts with PBMÂ?s.
Â?The removal of Â?spread pricingÂ? from a contract.
Â?Arranging direct rebates between the PBM and the plan.
Â?Implementing Â?Step Therapy PlansÂ?.
C. David Kikumoto, President & CEO, and Peter Miterko, Executive Vice President both with Denver Management Advisors, LLC are available to further comment on strategies to lower pharmacy benefit costs as well as expand upon the options to audit a pharmacy benefit program and secure refunds and overpayments.
Denver Management Advisors, LLC based in Greenwood Village, Colorado, has successfully helped some of the nationÂ?s largest companies reduce their healthcare costs. C. David Kikumoto, is a nationally recognized healthcare cost reduction expert who has recently testified before the State of California legislature regarding the need for pharmacy benefits cost reform.
To arrange an interview or for further information please contact:
Brad Cillian
Denver Management Advisors, LLC
303.224.7789
©Copyright 1997-
, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
More Insurance Denver Press Releases
Small Businesses Get Creative to Save Employee Health Benefits
Fort Collins, CO (PRWEB) March 9, 2009
According to a new study by Information Strategies, Inc., many small business are finding creative ways to keep their employee healthcare coverage. Two of the most popular solutions businesses are implementing are Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA).
HSAs and HRAs are both tax-free programs designed to help Americans afford their healthcare, regardless of the health insurance programs that may or may not be provided by an employer. An HRA program allows employers to reimburse their employees for healthcare expenses that are not covered by the employer’s healthcare plan, such as deductibles, co-pays, and coinsurance claims.
With an HSA, individuals set aside a tax-deductible portion of their income into a savings account. They can then invest the money as they would with an IRA without having to pay taxes on its growth. HSA funds can be used to pay for qualifying medical expenses, including dental expenses, mental therapy, physical therapy, alternative treatments (such as acupuncture), transportation and lodging related to medical expenses, non-prescription medications, and more.
“There are a variety of different options with each of these healthcare coverage solutions,” said Wiley Long, President of HSA for America. “For example, we have an HRA plan for self-employed individuals that is different than the plans we offer for small businesses. Also, employers can decide what can be covered by the HRA plan, such as dental or vision.”
HSA for America offers a wide range of healthcare coverage solutions that are uniquely designed to help small businesses provide suitable coverage to their employees. “As healthcare becomes more and more expensive, we’re always on the look-out for affordable programs that will help our clients afford appropriate coverage for their employees and families,” said Long.
More About HSA for America
HSA for America offers affordable HRA programs for employers and their employees, helping both employers and employees save money while receiving tax incentives for their healthcare reimbursements. In addition to a comprehensive offering of HRA programs, HSA for America also offers a wide spectrum of Health Savings Account programs for individuals, families, and businesses that help members save up to 50 percent off of the cost of their medical expenses.
For more information about HSA for America programs, visit http://www.health–savings–accounts.com.
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©Copyright 1997-
, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Tax-free IRA Rollover Increases Demand for Health Savings Accounts
Fort Collins, CO (PRWEB) December 19, 2006
The recently passed “Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006″ has several provisions that make it easier to open and fund an HSA, including the option of a one-time tax-free rollover from an IRA into the HSA. This change has already caused a great increase in interest among the self-employed and other individuals who purchase their own health insurance, according to leading health insurance broker HSA for America.
“We’re getting a tremendous number of inquiries from people who want to know how they can fund their account with money from their IRA,” said HSA for America President Wiley Long. “HSA-qualified health insurance plans have high deductibles of $ 1,100 or more. By doing a tax-free rollover from their IRA, individuals can immediately fund their account so that the deductible can be covered 100%. That basically removes the risk of going with a high-deductible plan.”
Health savings accounts are special tax-favored savings accounts that anyone with a qualified high-deductible health insurance plan can open and fund. Any money put in the account is tax deductible, and can be used tax-free to pay for future medical expenses. If the money is not withdrawn, it continues to grow tax-deferred like an IRA. HSAs first became available in January 2004, and today nearly five million people are covered by an HSA-qualified health insurance plan.
“HSA plans have much lower premiums than traditional co-pay plans, but they do have a higher deductible. Medical expenses that someone incurs before they meet their deductible can be paid for from the HSA, but if they’ve just opened their HSA they may not have had enough time to accumulate much money in it. The tax-free IRA rollover solves that problem,” said Long. “I expect that by sometime in 2007 sales of HSA plans will eclipse co-pay plans as the preferred type of health insurance among individuals purchasing their own plans.”
Both IRAs and HSAs are special tax-favored accounts that can be funded with tax-free money, and that grow tax-deferred. But HSAs have an additional tax advantage over IRAs: if the money is withdrawn to pay for qualified medical expenses, taxes never need to be paid on those funds. This makes HSAs a much preferred way to save for future medical expenses, according to Long.
“According to Fidelity Investments, the average couple retiring in 2006 will need $ 200,000 to cover medical expenses, not even counting dental, over-the-counter medications, or long-term care. And that amount is going up every year. Those who have an HSA could have thousands of additional dollars available to them to cover these expenses in their retirement years.”
To help people who are buying their own health insurance understand these changes, HSA for America is hosting weekly teleseminars throughout the rest of 2006. “If someone can get their coverage in place before December 31, they can lock in 2006 rates for the next 6 – 24 months.”
The teleseminar is offered to registered participants at no charge. For more information on the teleseminar and how to sign up, please visit our Health Savings Account Teleseminar page.
About HSA for America
HSA for America is the nation’s leading independent health insurance firm specializing in individual and family coverage that works with a Health Savings Account. Through our comprehensive website we offer complete information on HSAs and qualifying health insurance plans. We offer instant quotes, online health insurance applications, and access to several banks that can act as an HSA administrator for your account.
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©Copyright 1997-
, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Health Savings Accounts Even More Attractive Thanks to Congress
Fort Collins, CO (PRWEB) December 13, 2006
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) received a boost this weekend when the U.S. Congress gave final approval to H.R. 6111, the “Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006″. The additional incentives should greatly improve the popularity of HSAs, particularly among individuals and families purchasing their own health insurance, according to leading health insurance broker HSA for America.
“HSA plans are already the best health insurance value for just about anyone who is paying for his or her own health insurance,” said HSA for America President Wiley Long. “They lower premiums, provide immediate tax reductions, and make it easier to save for medical expenses during retirement. These changes will result in HSA plans eclipsing co-pay plans as the primary choice among small business owners, independent contractors, and anyone who’s self-employed or does not have employer-provided coverage.”
Health savings accounts are special tax-favored savings accounts that anyone with a qualified high-deductible health insurance plan can open and fund. Any money put in the account is tax deductible, and can be used tax-free to pay for future medical expenses. If the money is not withdrawn, it continues to grow tax-deferred like an IRA. HSAs first became available in January 2004, and today nearly five million people are covered by an HSA-qualified health insurance plan.
Long said the legislation contains several improvements to the already popular HSA program that will make HSA plans the most popular type of coverage in the near future.
It allows people to fund their HSAs with a one-time transfers from their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Because funds withdrawn from an HSA to pay medical expenses are never taxed, an HSA is a much more tax-advantaged investment than an IRA. This provision will enable someone to quickly maximize their contribution, so that they can fully cover the deductible on their high-deductible health insurance plan.
The bill allows individuals with HSA-qualified policies to contribute up to the annual contribution limit ($ 2,850 for individual coverage and $ 5,650 for family coverage in 2007), even if their deductible is less than this amount. Until now, policyholders with smaller deductibles were penalized because they were not allowed the same tax benefits as those with larger deductibles.
Allows individuals to make the maximum contribution to the HSA, regardless of when the HSA plan began. Taxpayers who purchase an HSA plan later in the year will still be allowed to make the full HSA contribution, instead of a pro-rated portion as is currently the case. This will enable them to completely cover their deductible with funds from the HSA if they have some large medical bills, and also gives them the same tax benefits as someone who purchased the plan earlier in the year.
“I expect very few people will continue to purchase health insurance plans with co-pays once they understand how easy and inexpensive these plans now are”, said Long. “HSA plans can already reduce a family’s annual expenses by several thousand dollars.
Long says HSA for America, which markets HSA-qualified plans to individuals and families, is currently expanding in anticipation of a growing surge of interest in health savings accounts in 2007. “We’ve already had a lot of people calling us about these changes, and have started hosting weekly teleseminars to share this information and answer questions from curious consumers.”
The HSA for America teleseminar is offered to registered participants at no charge. For more information about the Health Savings Account Teleseminar and how to sign up, visit: http://www.health–savings–accounts.com/teleseminar.htm
About HSA for America
HSA for America is the nation’s leading independent health insurance firm specializing in individual and family coverage that works with a Health Savings Account. Through our comprehensive website we offer complete information on HSAs and qualifying health insurance plans. We offer instant quotes, online health insurance applications, and access to several banks that can act as an HSA administrator for your account. Visit http://www.health–savings–accounts.com for complete information.
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