Tag Archives: health savings

How can you help your employees do more with their HSAs?

In previous blog posts I’ve introduced you to our proprietary 5 Stages of Health Saving and Spending model that identifies where employees are in their journeys with HSAs. Depending on an employee’s level of engagement, they may be getting started with a health savings account (HSA) in the “Decide” stage, or they may be very […]
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Five things every employer should know about HRAs and HSAs

You may or may not be familiar with health savings accounts (HSAs) and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs). And although they sound similar and both allow for tax-free reimbursement of qualified medical expenses, they are very different when you look at them closely. Here are the differences between and HSA and HRA. Does the account need […]
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Three important tips for high-deductible plans

In 2014, the average person with a single-coverage, employer-sponsored plan had a $1217 deductible.1 According to a recent Commonwealth Fund study, more than 20% of insured adults ages 19-54 spend at least 5 percent of their income on out-of-pocket medical costs – not including premiums. Of that same group, 13% spend at least 10 percent […]
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Tell your employees: it’s not too late to maximize the HSA contribution

As 2014 draws to a close, it’s a good time to remind employees to maximize their health savings account (HSA) contribution to leverage the account’s tax benefit. Under-contributing to an HSA is a common health benefits mistake employees make and one that can be avoided. The IRS sets the guidelines for how much employees can contribute […]
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Promoting employee health? Don’t forget finances.

According to the 2013 Milliman Medical Index, annual medical costs for a family of four are now higher than a year of groceries. And you likely feel the pressure: at home and at work. As you’re thinking about how to drive health ownership among employees, it’s important to focus not just on physical and behavioral […]
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The HSA as a retirement planning tool?

You know that the health savings account (HSA) that accompanies your employees’ high deductible health plan can help cover qualified out-of-pocket medical costs. But did you know that the HSA also can be used as a retirement vehicle? It’s true. In fact, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute a person contributing for 40 years […]
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The health savings and spending consumer journey

Health care is one of life’s basic necessities, but it’s not the easiest to budget or understand. Ongoing changes in the industry however, have led a growing number of consumers to take greater control of their health care dollars, often through options such as health savings accounts (HSAs), health reimbursement accounts (HRAs) or flexible spending […]
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Research shows health care costs are slowing. Will the trend continue?

There’s good news on the health insurance cost front: According to a recently released employer health benefits survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, health costs for employers increased only 3 percent last year. And it’s the second straight year the growth rate has slowed, according to Kaiser. Get the full story in this article that […]
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Paying and saving for health care: How many steps are there?

If you had to guess, how many stages do you think your employees go through when paying and saving for their health care? Here’s a clue: The process is more complicated than simply “paying” and “saving.” According to Optum research of more than one million consumers and in-depth analysis of our account holder experience, your […]
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Where you retire could make a big difference in your health care costs

Baby boomers have different retirement dreams than their parents had. They’re looking for dynamic downtowns, culture and arts, and opportunities to explore nature and practice active lifestyles in top-quality sports facilities. One item they may want to add to their must-have lists: quality health care at an affordable cost.