Need Individual Health Insurance...HSA

[blackhorse]

Looking at United Health One with a $3500.00 ded. HSA 100 plan.
I am 47 yrs old and ride horses. I'm very healthy and would probably only need my yearly Woman's health exams.
My main concern is accidents such as broken bones/surgeries/MRI's and the likes. Having had a couple bad ones before, I don't want to buy a policy that's not going to meet my needs.

Question...I talked to a Blue Cross Blue Shield agent who gave me a quote on a Smart Sense $3500.00 ded PPO plan Copoay of 70/30 and another for an $3500.00 HSA 100 but said I would have to open a bank acct and deposit a certain amount every month for this policy... but the agent for the United Health One who gave me a quote on a $3500.00 ded HSA100 said it wasn't necessary and the BCBS agent was mistaken??
Is the acct. a necessity or not?
Any suggestions on a better policy or things I should consider?
I have been trying since last Thursday but I feel like I am being rushed into buying a policy and when I ask questions everybody tells me their plan best suits my needs.
I will admit, my head is spinning from just reading some of the forums on here...

 

[Guest]

The account is not necessary, over 50% don't ever fund the HSA.

For a fair comparison, you should speak to an independent agent (one that represents all companies) and you can find one here for your state: Integrity First Consulting

Do not feel rushed, there is no pressure, the price won't change in one week.

As far as accidents go, individual policies will not give you the coverage that you desire, you'd be exposed to your deductible (for the most part) of $3500, you'd need to get an accident plan as a supplement to the HSA, this will cover up to $5000 (for accident or injury) and you'd pay a $100 deductible and what is paid out will go to your HSA deductible. There are variables but this concept applies to most plans.

Also, many HSA qualified plans cover a wellness/physical with a co pay.

Call one of the agents on the map and they'll assist you.

(

Looking at United Health One with a $3500.00 ded. HSA 100 plan.
I am 47 yrs old and ride horses. I'm very healthy and would probably only need my yearly Woman's health exams.
My main concern is accidents such as broken bones/surgeries/MRI's and the likes. Having had a couple bad ones before, I don't want to buy a policy that's not going to meet my needs.

Question...I talked to a Blue Cross Blue Shield agent who gave me a quote on a Smart Sense $3500.00 ded PPO plan Copoay of 70/30 and another for an $3500.00 HSA 100 but said I would have to open a bank acct and deposit a certain amount every month for this policy... but the agent for the United Health One who gave me a quote on a $3500.00 ded HSA100 said it wasn't necessary and the BCBS agent was mistaken??

Is the acct. a necessity or not?
Any suggestions on a better policy or things I should consider?
I have been trying since last Thursday but I feel like I am being rushed into buying a policy and when I ask questions everybody tells me their plan best suits my needs.
I will admit, my head is spinning from just reading some of the forums on here...

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

If you are in Georgia, you have some great options on this Forum. Experienced knowledgeable brokers who live in your state. You can't beat that combination.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

The account is not necessary, over 50% don't ever fund the HSA.

F([/I]

Rob I'm going to have to disagree. The account is vital. I always advise that my clients at least open it, even with the minimum.

Why? As long as the account is open at the time of claim, they can use tax free dollars to pay the claim. However, if there's no account in place at the time of claim, they can't run off and open one to realize the tax savings.

$2,000 claim and in the 20% federal tax bracket? Show me someone who doesn't want to save the $400.

 

[LGilmore]

"The account is not necessary, over 50% don't ever fund the HSA."

Agree with healthagent on this one. Absolutely no tax advantages gained if you don't open the account "prior" to the need.

As to the poster, the agent who advised to open the account is actually doing it right. While it is up to you to decide if the claims account is important. It is an agent's responsibility to mention it.

 

[somarco]

BCBSGA SmartSense is a piece of junk. There are only 2 policies offered by BCBSGA worth considering and that isn't one of them.

The UHC plan will cover all the things you have listed if you are in good health.

Carriers cannot require you to open the HSA bank account but doing so is a wise move . . . even if you never contribute beyond the initial deposit.

Accident plans are mostly junk and a waste of money, but if you want one there are plenty available.

I find it interesting that of the 4 Georgia agents listed on the Integrity site, only one is a GA resident, is not licensed with BCBSGA and has only held licenses with real major medical carriers for less than 3 years.

 

[DS4]

I think the poster is asking if she is "required" to open an HSA acct in addition to apply for a HSA eligible health plan. The answer is no.
I don't think Rob was insinuating HSA accts are a bad idea.
I think we all agree opening the HSA acct is a no brainer. This is sometimes a hard consept for the consumer.
Sometimes, rather than confusing the sonsumer during the sale of the HSA eligible health plan, I only focus on the sale of the health plan. At a later date, work on the idea of opening a HSA acct.

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

"I find it interesting that of the 4 Georgia agents listed on the Integrity site, only one is a GA resident, is not licensed with BCBSGA and has only held licenses with real major medical carriers for less than 3 years."

Just for the heck of it, I checked the first seven Ohio agents. None live in Ohio. And in fact six live in Colorado and one in Arizona. Not even close to Ohio.

 

[GreenSky]

"I find it interesting that of the 4 Georgia agents listed on the Integrity site, only one is a GA resident, is not licensed with BCBSGA and has only held licenses with real major medical carriers for less than 3 years."

Just for the heck of it, I checked the first seven Ohio agents. None live in Ohio. And in fact six live in Colorado and one in Arizona. Not even close to Ohio.

Maybe my definition of "integrity" is different from others.

Rick

 

[YouGotMyMoney]

Just for the heck of it, I checked the first seven Ohio agents. None live in Ohio. And in fact six live in Colorado and one in Arizona. Not even close to Ohio.

Is that really that big of a deal? I know the "local guy" is part of many agent's rap, but does it really make a difference?