HSA Focalpoint

Controlling Health Insurance Premiums with FSA, HRA, HSA Plans.

industryweek.com, March 24, 2008

Health insurance costs are rising much faster than inflation. But what can manufacturers do about it? One idea that seems to be working is giving employees “ownership” in their health plans. (Read More)

Healthcare Without Medicare
Special Report: Healthcare & Retirement.

financial-planning.com, April 1 2008

In addition to clean living and good health, Embrey’s client kept costs down by choosing a high-deductible plan. Better yet, clients can pair a high-deductible plan with a health savings account (HSA), as long as their health insurance policy meets certain requirements, such as a minimum deductible of $1,100 for an individual. (Read More)

If you are in a high-deductible health plan linked to a health savings account, you’ll have to start thinking about your insurance in a whole new way. Not only must you get your head around network rules, but you have to plan for surprises, manage your cash flow and even make investing decisions. (Read More)

Legislation Pushes Incentives for High-Deductible Plans and HSAs.

ahiphiwire.org.com - March 28, 2008

The bill would exempt insurers from paying taxes on premiums in the sale of the high-deductible savings account plans. Georgia health insurers typically pay a tax of at least 2.5 percent on premiums.
(Read More)

IRS Publication 969 Updated for 2007 Tax Filing.

irs.gov, March 2008
The IRS has released an updated version of Publication 969 (Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans) for use in reparing 2007 tax returns. This publication summarizes information
about HSAs, HRAs, health FSAs, Archer MSAs, and Medicare Advantage MSAs, including brief descriptions of benefits, eligibility equirements, contribution limits, and distribution issues. It has been updated to reflect the 2007 dollar limits for HSAs and to incorporate the many changes that the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 TRHCA) made to the HSA rules, effective for 2007 (Download)

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HSAs A Significant Improvement Over Usual Health Coverage.

insurancenewsnet.com, March 12, 2008
Health Savings Accounts allow employees the freedom to choose how and when their HSA money is spent - improving their access to care - while still providing coverage for truly catastrophic and costly events. (Read More)

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Health Insurance For Self-Employed.

cnnmoney.com, March 17, 2008
If you take a high deductible on your health insurance policy, you’ll pay lower premiums and get a smaller tax deduction. But there may be tax breaks anyway. (Read More)
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Study Finds Widening Gap in Health Cost Hikes.

businessinsurance.com - March 13, 2008
Best-performing employers are 21% more likely to use financial incentives to drive plan member behavior than their poor-performing counterparts.Best-performing employers also had higher enrollment in consumer-driven health plans than their poor-performing peers. (Read More)

When Consumers are Driving Health Care

newsobserver.com, March 6, 2008
The next time you hear someone say the market is failing health care, ask him how much his last blood test cost. His failure to tell you won’t be a memory lapse, but a symptom of our system. (Read More)

First of its Kind HSA-FSA Superstore

prweb.com, March 5, 2008

Through this online store, which is exclusively HSA and FSA eligible items, shoppers can purchase whatever they want without the worry of whether or not their purchases are covered. (Read More)

TSYS Launches the Industry’s Most Advanced Healthcare Benefits Payments System

businesswire.com, March 3, 2008

TSYS Healthcare announced the successful market launch of the industry’s most advanced benefits payments system. Fringe Benefits Management Company (FBMC), the first third-party administrator to use this innovative solution, offers its subscribers the ability to pay from multiple healthcare tax-advantaged accounts, credit accounts and cash accounts through a single card. (Read More)

Consumer-Directed Health Plans Continue to Grow as Popular Vehicle to Bring Choice, Flexibility and Access to Consumers.

TheEarthTimes.org - March 4, 2008

Enrollment in Consumer-Directed Health Plans (CDHPs) continues to grow, spurring employers to offer more health care information tools to employees in order to leverage the true value of these products, according to a study commissioned by the American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations (AAPPO) from the consulting firm Mercer, Inc. (Read More)

Health Savings Accounts – A Leap of Faith

EMAILWIRE.COM, February 26, 2008

With a significant percentage of their patients on consumer-directed plans, providers would be forced to compete on cost and quality. But to reach that level of enrollment, we need a further price reduction on HSA-compatible plans. Insurance companies need to take a leap of faith. (Read More)

The ‘Worst’ Healthcare Payment Scheme

HealthLeaders Media, February 25, 2008

Maybe consumer-directed care will end up being the healthcare equivalent of what Winston Churchill said about democracy: the worst form of government–except for all the others that have been tried. (Read More)

Business Generated HSAs Surpass Individually-Purchased Offerings

managingyourhr.com, Feb, 2008

What is evident are trends showing that business managers are leaning towards HSAs as a way of reducing healthcare benefit cost while providing support for staff members. (Read More)

Health Savings Accounts Offer Employers and Workers a Tool for Cutting Premium Costs; Not Coverage

EVliving.com - Feb 25, 2008

Health Savings Accounts offer employers and workers a tool for cutting premium costs but not coverage, Neelman says. “At the same time, the accounts put control of health care decisions – and costs – back in the hands of workers.” (Read More)