Prescription Drug Benefits Included in 99.4% of HSA Health Plans
HSA-eligible health
insurance plans provide affordable health insurance with
comprehensive benefits according to report
Mountain
View, Calif., February 15, 2005 ?Health
insurance plans purchased as part of individuals?and families?Health Savings
Account (HSA) programs in 2004 included solid benefits and reasonable prices.
Plans purchased included coverage for prescription drugs 99.4 percent of the
time and coverage for doctor visits and other important benefits 85.4 percent
of the time. This and other data on HSA adoption in 2004 was released today in
an in-depth annual report by eHealthInsurance, the nation’s leading source of
health insurance for individuals and families.
In addition
to prescription drugs, HSA-eligible health plans purchased in 2004 through
eHealthInsurance.com by individuals and families are providing benefits
including office visits, prescription drugs, and hospitalization at an average
monthly premium of $137.94 for individuals and $277.45 for families.
Eighty-nine percent of
HSA-eligible plan purchasers are paying $200 or less per person per month.
HSAs are
already meeting the healthcare and financial needs of consumers. Bill Lomel
from Georgia, a 41year-old commercial roofer, has used a HSA program since
their introduction in January 2004 to cover his family’s medical services and
pharmaceuticals. The plan he purchased through eHealthInsurance.com saved him
$6,000 last year on premiums alone. “As a father with three active kids, it’s
important to have quality health insurance -- but I only want to pay the
insurance company’s negotiated rate for medical services we will use,?said
Lomel while participating in a White House panel on HSAs last month. “Instead
of putting money into a ‘black hole?paying huge monthly premiums, I am
depositing the savings tax free into a fund to use for our short-term medical
needs.?The money in my HSA that went
unused in 2004 rolled over for use in 2005 and beyond.?
Other key findings of the report on HSA-eligible health plan purchasers
include:
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Nearly
half are at least 40 years old;
?span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
More
than one-third are families with children;
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40
percent have incomes under $50,000 a year;
?span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
One-third
were previously uninsured; and
?span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
Of
those in the $15,000 to $35,000 income bracket, there was a 161 percent
increase of previously uninsured purchasers during all of 2004 compared to the
first six months of the year.
“HSAs are intended to help people to get affordable health insurance, experience flexibility in the use of their healthcare dollars today, and save for their future medical needs,?said Gary Lauer, CEO of eHealthInsurance. “Our data shows that those objectives are being addressed across all age groups and income brackets, including those making less than $50,000 a year, who came to eHealthInsurance without health insurance. Getting health insurance into their hands begins to solve one of the nation’s most pressing problems.?o:p>
eHealthInsurance
today released an in-depth annual report, “Health Savings Accounts: The First
Year in Review.?The report consists of consumer demographics, data on pricing
and plan benefits of HSA-eligible health insurance plans purchased by
individuals and families across the U.S. for all of 2004.?The report also compares that data with the
first six months of the year. In addition to reporting on HSA purchasers, the
eHealthInsurance report includes comparable information on the buyer
demographics, pricing and benefits of major medical health insurance of all
types sold to individuals and families through www.eHealthInsurance.com nationally.
Since
its founding in 1997, eHealthInsurance, Inc. (www.eHealthInsurance.com)
has become the nation's leading source of health insurance for individuals,
families and small businesses. The company sells health insurance in all 50
states and offers more than 4,000 health plans underwritten by more
than 140 of the nation's leading health insurance companies. The company
is headquartered in Mountain View, CA and has an experienced customer care team
of more than 100 representatives and licensed agents that assist consumers before,
during and after the purchase of health insurance plans.
eHealthInsurance.com
and eHealth are registered trademarks of eHealthInsurance Services, Inc.
Contact:
Emily
Fox Sande
Drew ?
Office:?650/ 210-3140 Office:?916/ 487-5509
Mobile:
408/ 425-7097 ?Mobile:
916/ 203-2888
emily.fox@ehealthinsurance.com sandrew@surewest.net