Ohio Health Savings Accounts have a new contribution limit for 2010. The annual contribution limits have been increased to $3,050 for individual HSA coverage and $6,150 for family HSA coverage. The 2010 minimum annual deductible is $1,200 for individual HSA coverage and $2,500 for family HSA coverage.

A Health Savings Account (HSA) is an affordable alternative to traditional health insurance that offers Ohio residents an alternative method to pay for their health care. HSAs enable you to pay for current health expenses and save for future qualified medical expenses on a tax-free basis. Most major Ohio health insurance companies offer HSAs. The most competitive rates are offered by Anthem Blue Cross, Medical Mutual, Aetna, UnitedHealthOne and Humana.

You must be covered under a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) to qualify to make an HSA contribution. An HDHP is an inexpensive health insurance policy that costs substantially less than a traditional Ohio health insurance plan, and offers you the opportunity to deposit the money you save into the HSA.

As Ohio’s premier trusted resource for affordable HSA coverage, we research all of the major health insurance companies. Only the highest-quality plans are considered with most offering preventive coverage that is not subject to a deductible. The quotes rates are the lowest allowable by the state.

To instantly view, compare or apply for an Ohio HSA, please click on the “Get Instant Quote” button at the top of this page. Your personal information is never shared with any other person or company.

Department of the Treasury Official HSA Publication

The Ohio Anthem Lumenos Health Savings Account (HSA) may be the most unappreciated health plan in the state. When compared with other comprehensive plans or HSAs, it offers flexibility, competitive rates and lower out-of-pocket costs that make it an Ohio health insurance plan that should always be considered. The Lumenos is the “high deductible health plan” (HDHP) portion of the policy while the HSA contract allows you to pay for current health expenses and save for future qualified medical expenses on a tax-free basis.

Unlike most Ohio medical plans, the Lumenos HSA features just one family deductible, regardless of how many family members are on the policy. Once the deductible is met, 100% of all covered medical expenses are paid without any co-insurance. The lifetime maximum is also a generous $7 million per person.

Ohio Anthem Health Savings Accounts also feature adult and child preventive care coverage that is not subject to the deductible (Lumenos HSA Plan 3). Routine office visits (subject to the deductible) receive “Network Repricing” which reduces out-of-pocket expenses by approximately 10%-25%. Lab test and X-ray costs are often discounted by as much as 50%-80%.

Additional included coverages, that are sometimes not found in other plans, include home health care, skilled nursing and physical, occupational and speech therapy. A 24/7 NurseLine and members-only discounts on healthy lifestyle services are also provided for all Ohio Anthem policyholders.

For additional information on Ohio Anthem plans, please visit Ohio’s premier website for Ohio health plans here, or instantly view and compare different plans by clicking on the “Get Instant Quote” button at the top of the page. Your personal information is never shared with any other person or company.

Consumer-driven health care (CDHC) refers to health insurance policies that allow policyholders to use Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and other medical-payment plans to pay routine medical expenses. Separately, a high-deductible health insurance policy covers the catastrophic claims. The combination of these two plans generally costs less than conventional Ohio health insurance plans. The balance (if any) of a pre-funded spending account is kept by the policyholder and “rolled over” to the next year.

Sound complicated? Maybe a bit. I (myself, wife and two children) have this type of coverage so I can personally endorse the idea.

The folks at Humana are quite effective at explaining the concept. I think you’ll find this video quote informative.

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) were created by the Medicare bill signed by President Bush on December 8, 2003 and are designed to help individuals save for future qualified medical and retiree health expenses on a tax-free basis.

Here in Ohio, most major health carriers offer HSAs. Rates can vary, so it is a good idea to shop around for the best rate/coverage in your area.

What is a Health Savings Account (“HSA”)?
A Health Savings Account is an alternative to traditional health insurance; it is a savings product that offers a different way for consumers to pay for their health care. HSAs enable you to pay for current health expenses and save for future qualified medical and retiree health expenses on a tax-free basis.

You must be covered by a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) to be able to take advantage of HSAs. An HDHP generally costs less than what traditional health care coverage costs, so the money that you save on insurance can therefore be put into the Health Savings Account.

You own and you control the money in your HSA. Decisions on how to spend the money are made by  you without relying on a third party or a health insurer. You will also decide what types of investments to make with the money in the account in order to make it grow.

How much does an HSA cost?
An HSA is not something you purchase; it’s a savings account into which you can deposit money on a tax-preferred basis.  The only product you purchase with an HSA is a High Deductible Health Plan, an inexpensive plan that will cover you should your medical expenses exceed the funds you have in your HSA.

What Is a “High Deductible Health Plan” (HDHP)?
You must have an HDHP if you want to open an HSA. Sometimes referred to as a “catastrophic” health insurance plan, an HDHP is an inexpensive health insurance plan that generally doesn’t pay for the first several thousand dollars of health care expenses  (i.e., your “deductible”) but will generally cover you after that .  Of course, your HSA is available to help you pay for the expenses your plan does not cover.