I’m 46, single, no kids, self-employed. I’ve had an HSA for a couple of years now and love it. Like someone said upthread: not good for people who like to go to the doctor every 10 minutes or who have kids. My plan is through Kaiser, with a $5k deductible and I deposit $200 each month automatically from my checking account into the HSA.
If I had a major accident, I would have my deductible 2/3 covered right now. I really love the freedom of not worrying whether a doctor I want to see is “in plan” or not. I see who I want and write a check right out of the HSA account.
Fees tend to be more negotiable when paying cash.
I also don’t have to decide what my plan is or isn’t going to cover. Chiropractic, massage, acupuncture…..I do what I want for my health. I control the costs and make the decisions.
My opinion, if you are the right kind of person and willing to keep yourself healthy — an HSA is a great plan.
If you aren’t sure, sit down and write out what you can afford to pay each month. Then write down the benefits you would like to have available to you. Somewhere between available benefits and at the price you can pay is where your best option is.
