Consumers Paying an Average of $348 Less This Year for HSA-eligible Health Insurance Plans Compared to 2004
HSA-eligible plan
costs dropped in sharp contrast with rising
overall health insurance premiums
Mountain View, Calif., July 27, 2005 – Premiums for
health insurance plans sold to individuals and families as part of a Health
Savings Account (HSA) program dropped an average of $29 per month, according to
a semi-annual report released today by eHealthInsurance, the nation’s leading
source of health insurance for individuals and families. Data on pricing, demographics of purchasers
and benefit levels are included in this research on HSA adoption in the first
18 months of their existence.
In
2005, HSA-eligible health insurance plans continue to provide many of the
benefits expected in comprehensive health insurance plans. For example, nearly 80% of the plans
purchased had prescription drug coverage and more than 80% of the HSA-eligible
plans purchased had comprehensive OB/GYN coverage at no cost to the plan
holder. Also, all of the plans include
emergency room, hospitalization and lab/X-ray services.
“Clearly
health insurance companies across the nation are responding to the demand for
affordable, quality HSA-eligible health insurance plans,” said Gary Lauer, CEO
of eHealthInsurance. “After four
consecutive years of double-digit increases in health insurance premiums
overall[1],
the more affordable HSA programs will continue to be an increasingly popular
option for consumers.”
eHealthInsurance
today released its six-month update to its in-depth annual report, “Health
Savings Accounts: The First Year in Review,” released on February 15, 2005.
This update, “Health Savings Accounts: The First Six Months of 2005,” consists
of consumer demographics, data on pricing, and plan benefits of HSA-eligible
health insurance plans purchased on www.eHealthInsurance.com
by individuals and families across the U.S. in the first half of 2005, with
comparisons to 2004.
To view the full report
visit www.ehealthinsurance.com/content/pressNew/ReportLink.shtml
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 states
that represent 100 percent of the U.S. population. eHealthInsurance offers more
than 6,500 health plans underwritten by more than 140 of the nation's
leading health insurance companies. The company is headquartered in Mountain
View, California.
eHealthInsurance.com and
eHealth are registered trademarks of eHealth, Inc.
[1] Based on data from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and Health Research and Educational Trust (HRET) “Employer Health Benefits” 2004 Annual Survey