| |
| |
|
|
Insurance Information |
|
Health Savings Accounts
Most people with health insurance, especially employer paid health insurance, really don't know what their health care costs are. Furthermore, in many cases, they are limited in which health providers (doctors, hospitals, pharmacies etc) they can use. Most people are locked into a network of doctors. They know what the co-pay is, but have no idea what the doctor actually charges. When insured consumers are hospitalized, they rarely see the bill. They don't know if the insurance company was overcharged or not. There are firms that audit hospital bills for insurers and self insured companies. They get paid a percentage of what they save on the bill payer by finding overcharges, duplicate charges and the like. The last I heard these firms were still making lots of money. Overcharging, whether deliberate or not, by doctors and hospitals drive up health care costs for all. (So do malpractice suits, but that's another story.) In order to give consumers more direct control not only over their health costs, but in the choice of which doctor they can see or which hospital they can enter, Congress enacted the Health Savings Account Availability Act. As of the beginning of 2004, individuals who are not otherwise insured can have Health Savings Accounts (HSA) , which carry with them some very attractive tax benefits. An individual can set up an HSA for himself or his family. An employer can add an HSA option to the so-called cafeteria benefit plan it may already offer. The money put into the plan is before taxes, including Social Security, if part of an employer plan. Otherwise it is a above-the-line deduction, meaning you don't have to itemize your deductions to get the tax break and that the deduction is not subject to the phase-out rules that make many itemized deductions unavailable to high wage earners. The plan is set up like an IRA. A trustee approved by the IRS must be used. Money put in the plan grows tax free and funds withdrawn for qualified medical expenses are also tax free. Unlike the older Flexible Savings Accounts offered in employer cafeteria plans, you don't have to spend the money put into the account by year end or otherwise lose whatever's left. Money can be rolled over from year to year. This can allow for a nice chunk of money to accumulate that can be withdraw tax free at age 65. In order to qualify, the individual or family must purchase a high deducible health insurance policy. These are special policies that have a minimum deductible of $1000 to a maximum of $5000 for an individual and $2000 to $10,000 for a family. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium. Individuals can deduct the lesser of $2250 or the deductible on the policy: for married couples or families it is double that. If over 55, the deduction is $600 higher for individual and $1200 higher for couples and will continue to rise at $100 a year until 2009, where it will be capped at $1000 for individuals and $2000 for families. The money in the HSA cannot be used to pay the premiums for this policy except in certain circumstances (basically when you're unemployed). It is meant to meet the deductible, co-pays, drug costs, eyeglasses or any other medical expense that could be itemized on an individual tax return as a medical expense. Money withdrawn in excess of qualified medical expenses is taxed as income and subject to a 10% penalty, unless the owner is disabled or over 65. Any money in the account at death is added to the taxable estate. There are no income limits on this plan. If started early, when you are still young and healthy a substantial amount of money could accumulate to either meet higher medical costs as you get older or to use to supplement your income. It pays to compare the costs of this plan with whatever your insurance you have now. It might turn out that your employer's plan is still cheaper and you might want to keep it. Or you might want to consider HSA's for their portability (you carry it from job to job without cost or loss of any contributions) and the tax benefit of having another vehicle to shelter income and capital growth, while giving you more control over the cost and quality of your health care. Chris Cooper is a retired attorney who has spent several periods of his life deep in debt. At http://www.credit-yourself.com he tries to pass on some of the knowledge he picked up in his journey to become debt free.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Health Savings Account (HSA): Helpful for Older People? The Health Savings Account (HSA) is an amazing tool that a lot of people have been talking about. It is meant to help you save money on insurance and make your life simpler, maybe even help you be healthier. The Best Rates on Life Insurance Finding the best rates on life insurance is not difficult any longer. With a few simple key strokes you open up a vast array of services on the internet to help you find the coverage's you want and the best rates on life insurance. Young Driver Car Insurance It has become increasingly difficult to get young driver car insurance in the UK. The reason behind this is because the statistics for young drivers having a car accident are not very good. Auto Insurance Primer What is auto insurance? Auto insurance (or car insurance, motor insurance) is insurance consumers can purchase for cars, trucks, and other vehicles. Its primary use is to provide protection against losses incurred. Filing An Insurance Claim Everything seemed pretty simple when you purchased that insurance policy. If you have a loss, just tell the insurance company about it and you will get paid - Right? Well. What Is Permanent Life Insurance? Unlike term life insurance, permanent insurance policies such as universal life, variable universal life and whole life provide long-term financial protection. This type of insurance will cover you for the duration of your life and continued on time premium payments. 10 Ways to Lower Your Auto Insurance Nowadays, auto insurance is really expensive. A typical insurance policy can cost a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars a year. Private Medical Insurance- Finding The Right Policy for You Why Private Medical Insurance Is Becoming So PopularRecent research indicates that the vast majority of consumers take out private medical insurance because they are concerned about the length of waiting lists for treatment in NHS hospitals.68% of those questioned in a recent online poll, said that they wanted to receive treatment when it was needed rather than having to take their chances with the NHS waiting lists. Long Term Care Insurance - Low Cost Alternatives For Budget Conscious Seniors! With Nursing home Cost's running $4,000 to $6,000 a month and outpacing inflation, it is a small wonder that most seniors cannot afford the Long term Care insurance premiums. Their are low cost Alternatives available for seniors who just can't afford the rising cost of these Premiums. Life Insurance Without Life Value: Why Young People Are Snubbing Financial Advice This article is written by a 27 year old female (borderline Generation X / Y) called Rachel. Rachel spent six years at university, has no outstanding debts with the exception of government student loans. Will Online Automobile Insurance Quotes Really Save Me Money? If you're looking to save money on your auto insurance then online automobile insurance quotes are definitely something you want to look into. But there are more benefits to shopping online besides saving money. We Dont Need Another Broker: How To Get The Best Liability Insurance Rates Available Some business relationships are forged through blood and friendship. When you work for a company whose owner has a brother, sister, or best friend that sells insurance, your hands are usually tied when it comes to finding the best deal for your boss on insurance. How Do I Calculate How Much Life Insurance I Need? Life insurance protects you and your family from economic hardship as a result of death. It is an insurance company's obligation to pay the recipient of your choice a pre-determined amount of money when you die in exchange for timely payment of premiums while you are living. How To Best Handle Health Insurance Plan Changes Many economists have suggested and recent economic data indicates that the economy is steadily moving in the right direction. A combination of several factors has no doubt had a negative impact on the economy over the last several years. MSA or HSA: Can I Keep My MSA Or Do I Need to Convert it into an HSA? The Medical Savings Account (MSA) is an older form of the Health Savings Account (HSA).You cannot open a new MSA. Avoiding The Potholes Of Car Insurance Car Insurance is an issue that we all of face in our lives. Do we insure our car or not?For example, what type of policy should you get? What should you look out for when signing on the dotted line? Car insurance can be a minefield if you do not investigate and take time out to research and evaluate the many types of insurance on offer in today's market. What Do You Mean My Auto Insurance Policy Doesnt Cover This!! Auto insurance is an agreement between you and your insurance company where you arrange to pay a premium in an exchange for the peace of mind that your insurance agency will pay for vehicle related financial losses during the duration of the policy. You need auto insurance because you are liable by law to pay for losses you cause to others in the event of an automobile accident. Bankers Long Term Care Insurance How many times have you seen people whose life was turned upside down by an accident?When an accident occurs, you must be prepared to face it. Nobody knows when bad things can happen, so it's good to count on a health care insurance policy. Guide to Life Insurance Terms Listed below is a useful guide to life insurance terms. It is a list of definitions of life insurance terms that may or may not be familiar to you. Insurance Claim - Medical Insights And Expenses There's nothing that has a greater impact on evaluating a personal injury insurance claim than the damage done to your body, the medical bills that are a direct result of that injury and the "pain and suffering" you were forced to deal with.Besides botching up your body (and sometimes your love life) what else does the injury mean to you? It means a ton of financial expense's, including repairing your car, lost wages, a shock to your life style, a tremendous inconvenience and short or long periods of pain and discomfort - - all of it a direct result of your injuries.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
