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December 14, 2008 at 02:00 PM
Insurers and producers appear to be putting more muscle into promoting supplemental health insurance products and other add-ons to health savings account-compatible high-deductible health plans.
For workers who have HSA-compatible HDHPs, the main HDHP accessory is the HSA itself.
But some marketers are trying to increase revenue and help employers fill in HDHP gaps by recommending that HDHP owners consider buying other insurance products along with the HDHPs.
Nationwide Better Health, a unit of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio, recently announced plans to add new voluntary, worksite products aimed at workers who are moving into HSA plans and other account-based health plans.
The Fringe Benefit Group L.P., Austin, is rolling out the Framework Passage program, a collection of supplemental health-related benefits designed specifically to complement an HSA-compatible high-deductible health plan.
This seems to be a good time to introduce HSA-compatible add-on products because “there are so many high-deductible health plans now,” says Brian Robertson, executive vice president at Fringe Benefit Group.
Today, more than 6 million U.S. residents have HSA-compatible, high-deductible health coverage, according to America’s Health Insurance Plans, Washington.
Congress created the HSA add-on niche in 2003, when it passed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act.
To encourage taxpayers to save for everyday health care expenses, and to discourage taxpayers from making frivolous use of health care, Congress required HSA owners to buy high-deductible health plans.
But Congress also described types of no-deductible, “first-dollar insurance that HSA holders could own along with HDHPs.
The Internal Revenue Service later elaborated on HSA product compatibility rules in a series of notices.
HSA-compatible HDHPs and add-ons cannot offer general, no-deductible or low-deductible medical coverage. But HSA-compatible plans can cover preventive care, such as checkups, mammograms and prostate screenings, without requiring a deductible.
HSA holders can use HSA assets to pay for qualified long term care insurance, health insurance obtained while they are unemployed, and health insurance obtained while they are getting coverage through COBRA or some other federal health insurance continuation law.
HSA holders cannot use HSA assets to pay for most other types of insurance, but they can own critical illness insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, disability insurance and many other types of coverage along with the HSA-compatible HDHP coverage.
