Scone: In search of HSA advice, assurance

Two weeks ago – after much discussion with my husband, fine-tooth-combing our family budget, using three comparison tools and a medical cost estimator, and reading every page of communication my employer sent on the subject – I enrolled my family in a high-deductible health plan with an HSA for 2009. I still wonder if I did the right thing.

Ever since, I’ve found myself preparing for a sort of health care Armageddon – scheduling myself, husband and children for every doctor’s and dentist appointment we need, weaning my infant daughter off a long-term medication, and informing the specialist she sees (and that we adore) that we likely won’t be back to see her because I’m not sure we’ll be able to afford the office visit come January.

Although it took much consideration, I feel railroaded into my decision. The HDHP I was offered carried about the same premium as the current PPO that covers my family now –already near the top of what our family can afford. The more traditional health coverage options were two and three times what we currently pay, and there’s no way we could sustain that (while continuing to save for retirement and meeting our monthly expenses).

So, I did the only thing I could do: checked the HDHP option, funded my HSA up to the deductible and hoped for the best.

Even though I can’t change my decision now, I still question it. I’ve discovered that writing about this topic and living it are two different things – and I consider myself much more informed than my colleagues at other non-benefits-related publications.

So I turn to you EBN readers, the exceptional pros that you are, for advice and assurance (and promise not to hold you accountable). Any recommendations you have would be great; just tell me what you would if I worked at your company.