President Bush has been encouraging Americans to be more conscious healthcare consumers by promoting health insurance newcomer HSA plans. The high-deductible plan that allows members to put money into a tax-sheltered account for later use on healthcare is growing in popularity, however still has many kinks to work out. Users of HSA plans are often confused about how to use them as are physician offices. Patients have trouble finding out the cost of care up front thus making their decision about where to go for care relatively difficult. The plans have also received criticism for catering to the healthy and wealthy, those who do not need to use health insurance often and those who can afford to pay the high-deductibles. Some HSA users that are having trouble adjusting to the new style of health insurance say the extra leg work might be more trouble than the money they save on monthly premiums is worth.
Read more: Health account can add to stress (Denver Post) When Bill Sonn's health insurance premiums jumped by 30 percent, the Denver freelance writer and marketing consultant found cheaper insurance, with a $2,000 deductible, and opened a health savings account. On paper, the switch looked like a good idea.
