News 449 Maryland Insurers Offer Health Savings Accounts Small Businesses Bizjournals

After President Bush's call to health insurance companies to provide the high-deductible HSA plans he supported during his State of the Union address, several insurers in Maryland have begun offering them. Aetna had previously been the only insurer to offer the consumer-directed health insurance plans. Aetna is now joined by CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, Coventry Healthcare, Definity Health and UnitedHealth Group in offering Health Savings Accounts and Health Reimbursement Arrangements to businesses with 2-50 employees. HSAs can be rolled over from job to job. HRAs receive contributions directly from the employer and can not be taken from job to job.

Read more: State's largest insurers offering savings accounts (BizJournals) President Bush argues that health savings accounts, a key piece of his recent State of the Union address, will encourage consumers to be more judicious about their health care spending.