HSA and single/family deductible

[alexa]

We have an HSA design whereby if somene elects family coverage ( we have 2 choices single or family, where employee +1 is a family)

Even if only 1 individual incurs medical expenses for the year the deductible that applies is the family deductible 2500 sungle 5K family

Can we desing our plan where there is a separate deductible to be more like our regular PPO medical plan and allow the single deductibel to be reached rather than the family in this scenario?

[Guest allancoleman]

My own experience , Alexa , with our own Aetna HSA qualified medical plan in the past several years has been that from the very first claim of each calendar year , Aetna has begun to pick up part of the claim and hasn't waited until after the medical bills have reached the maximum deductable for the family deductable .

Last calendar year of 2008 , wife and I scheduled TWO colonoscopies for myself and her , and the total bills were in the neighborhood of approximately $6K and Aetna picked up about 80% of them . In prior years when I also had my first colonoscopy years ago , Aetna too also picked up the majority of those expenses too at that time which were approximtely $3k to $5k .

Aside from these colonoscopies , we generally only have minor checkups each year probably totaling $1k and even then our Aetna HSA qualified high - deductable plan usually pays for some small portion of those bills too . We have been very satisified with our Aetna high - deductable plan , but we also enjoy good health and tend to stay away from regular hospital / doctor visits and take advantage of free blood tests and other free checkups at local health fairs several times a year to stay on top of any future medical problems .

Aside from recent problems regarding our Aetna HSA custodian , JPMorgan Chase , where they mistakenly deposited my wife's seperate individual HSA deposit for 2009 into my own seperate individual HSA account in January of this year , we've been very happy with Aetna overall . And IF JPMorgan Chase doesn't solve THEIR error regarding our HSAs , we'll probably continue doing business with Aetna with their medical plan and transfer our HSAs to another custodian in the future once we give JPMorgan Chase the opportunity to correct their error .

[MARYMM]

My own experience , Alexa , with our own Aetna HSA qualified medical plan in the past several years has been that from the very first claim of each calendar year , Aetna has begun to pick up part of the claim and hasn't waited until after the medical bills have reached the maximum deductable for the family deductable .

Last calendar year of 2008 , wife and I scheduled TWO colonoscopies for myself and her , and the total bills were in the neighborhood of approximately $6K and Aetna picked up about 80% of them . In prior years when I also had my first colonoscopy years ago , Aetna too also picked up the majority of those expenses too at that time which were approximtely $3k to $5k .

Aside from these colonoscopies , we generally only have minor checkups each year probably totaling $1k and even then our Aetna HSA qualified high - deductable plan usually pays for some small portion of those bills too . We have been very satisified with our Aetna high - deductable plan , but we also enjoy good health and tend to stay away from regular hospital / doctor visits and take advantage of free blood tests and other free checkups at local health fairs several times a year to stay on top of any future medical problems .

Aside from recent problems regarding our Aetna HSA custodian , JPMorgan Chase , where they mistakenly deposited my wife's seperate individual HSA deposit for 2009 into my own seperate individual HSA account in January of this year , we've been very happy with Aetna overall . And IF JPMorgan Chase doesn't solve THEIR error regarding our HSAs , we'll probably continue doing business with Aetna with their medical plan and transfer our HSAs to another custodian in the future once we give JPMorgan Chase the opportunity to correct their error .

Allen - the claims you enumerate are preventive procedures and that is why they are covered prior to your deductible being met.

Alexa - you need to address your question to your insurance broker.

[alexa]

My own experience , Alexa , with our own Aetna HSA qualified medical plan in the past several years has been that from the very first claim of each calendar year , Aetna has begun to pick up part of the claim and hasn't waited until after the medical bills have reached the maximum deductable for the family deductable .

Last calendar year of 2008 , wife and I scheduled TWO colonoscopies for myself and her , and the total bills were in the neighborhood of approximately $6K and Aetna picked up about 80% of them . In prior years when I also had my first colonoscopy years ago , Aetna too also picked up the majority of those expenses too at that time which were approximtely $3k to $5k .

Aside from these colonoscopies , we generally only have minor checkups each year probably totaling $1k and even then our Aetna HSA qualified high - deductable plan usually pays for some small portion of those bills too . We have been very satisified with our Aetna high - deductable plan , but we also enjoy good health and tend to stay away from regular hospital / doctor visits and take advantage of free blood tests and other free checkups at local health fairs several times a year to stay on top of any future medical problems .

Aside from recent problems regarding our Aetna HSA custodian , JPMorgan Chase , where they mistakenly deposited my wife's seperate individual HSA deposit for 2009 into my own seperate individual HSA account in January of this year , we've been very happy with Aetna overall . And IF JPMorgan Chase doesn't solve THEIR error regarding our HSAs , we'll probably continue doing business with Aetna with their medical plan and transfer our HSAs to another custodian in the future once we give JPMorgan Chase the opportunity to correct their error .

Allen - the claims you enumerate are preventive procedures and that is why they are covered prior to your deductible being met.

Alexa - you need to address your question to your insurance broker.

My question was is it legal to design your HSA this way? Someone here at the office said it was required in the HSA regs. Can you provide a cite if optional?

thanks

[Guest allancoleman]

Thank you very much for the explanation , MARYMM , of why my Aetna HSA qualified plan medical plan picked up as much of my medical claims as they did . Weither it was preventive or not , I was very pleased to get it .

As for your question , Alexa , I did NOT " design " my Aetna HSA qualified high - deductable medical plan . It was one of my options offered durning open enrollment every fall as a retiree . And even though I go on Medicare later this calendar year and can NO longer make HSA deposits in the future , Aetna offers several post - 65 Medicare health care plans and I may decide to sign up for those in the future if I don't like my future enrollment choices in the future after I turn 65 later this fall .

[MARYMM]

My own experience , Alexa , with our own Aetna HSA qualified medical plan in the past several years has been that from the very first claim of each calendar year , Aetna has begun to pick up part of the claim and hasn't waited until after the medical bills have reached the maximum deductable for the family deductable .

Last calendar year of 2008 , wife and I scheduled TWO colonoscopies for myself and her , and the total bills were in the neighborhood of approximately $6K and Aetna picked up about 80% of them . In prior years when I also had my first colonoscopy years ago , Aetna too also picked up the majority of those expenses too at that time which were approximtely $3k to $5k .

Aside from these colonoscopies , we generally only have minor checkups each year probably totaling $1k and even then our Aetna HSA qualified high - deductable plan usually pays for some small portion of those bills too . We have been very satisified with our Aetna high - deductable plan , but we also enjoy good health and tend to stay away from regular hospital / doctor visits and take advantage of free blood tests and other free checkups at local health fairs several times a year to stay on top of any future medical problems .

Aside from recent problems regarding our Aetna HSA custodian , JPMorgan Chase , where they mistakenly deposited my wife's seperate individual HSA deposit for 2009 into my own seperate individual HSA account in January of this year , we've been very happy with Aetna overall . And IF JPMorgan Chase doesn't solve THEIR error regarding our HSAs , we'll probably continue doing business with Aetna with their medical plan and transfer our HSAs to another custodian in the future once we give JPMorgan Chase the opportunity to correct their error .

Allen - the claims you enumerate are preventive procedures and that is why they are covered prior to your deductible being met.

Alexa - you need to address your question to your insurance broker.

My question was is it legal to design your HSA this way? Someone here at the office said it was required in the HSA regs. Can you provide a cite if optional?

thanks

Actually, it is the HDHP design that you are asking about and since it is an insurance product, I suggested that you ask your broker. Most HDHP's seem to use the aggregate deductible but I think they can be designed so that if a family member meets the single deductible, their further expenses are covered.

This topic is dicussed here too:

http://benefitslink.com/boards/lofiversion...php/t31542.html

Apparently, the embedded single deductible has to be at least the minimum statutory family deductible amount. Of course, the premiums would be impacted by this change.