Health Savings Account (HSA): Useful for Women in Childbearing Years?


The Health Savings Account (HSA) is an amazing tool that a lot of people have been talking about. It is meant to help you save money on insurance and make your life simpler, maybe even help you be healthier.

But should a family with a woman in her childbearing years use an HSA?

This is an excellent question!

Obviously, a woman who is pregnant or might likely become pregnant needs to be very aware of her health insurance situation. Taking pre-natal classes, having a hospital delivery, Cesarian sections are all expensive, nevermind any potential complications.

Health Savings Accounts paired with a high-deductible health insurance policy can work for the family who might be expecting. Here's how.

A high-deductible policy means that with a hospital delivery, you'll definitely be paying that first $1,000, $2,500 or $5,000 (depending on the deductible), because the total cost will be that plus more. But after the deductible is satisfied, the insurance will kick in and pay for the rest of the cost.

However, it gets more complicated than that. In order to have maternity covered in a policy, you must buy an additional "insurance rider" for maternity. This rider comes with your insurance policy, not with the HSA. The rider is extremely expensive, it will add hundreds or thousands of dollars to your yearly cost of insurance.

So, if you are going to delivery using a regular hospital delivery, you should definitely purchase the additional maternity rider on your insurance policy. Remember that the high-deductible policy with the maternity rider will still be significantly cheaper than a low-deductible policy with the same rider. So you should still use a high-deductible policy, just add that rider.

But let me present one more option to the lucky parents. Have you considered a midwife, in-home delivery? Many parents are turning to this option. Create a relationship with a midwife or nurse-midwife and consult with her throughout the pregnancy. You might find that is is a safer, more comfortable way to have a child than the hospital environment. Just make sure you do your homework first. Find a midwife who has good qualifications and excellent references. And check the laws in your state. Midwifery is illegal in several states, because the Medical Boards do not appreciate them taking business away from hospitals.

If you rely on a midwife, your overall costs will go down dramatically, but you will not be able to use HSA money to pay a midwife. Also note that the maternity rider on your insurance policy will not help pay for midwifery services. Even with these disadvantages, you might find that your overall cost savings are so great that the midwife is not only the safest, most comfortable option, but also the least expensive.

The Health Savings Account, along with usage of holistic practitioners like midwives, will change healthcare in America forever. Be a part of the future of healthcare! HSAs are available today!

Daryl Kulak is the author of the book "Health Insurance Off the Grid." The book provides a simple plan for the self-employed or underinsured to reduce insurance costs using a unique approach you won't find anywhere else. The book is available for sale as an e-Book or paperback at the Website http://www.healthoffthegrid.com







Related News



Sen. Pete Domenici on Mental Health - TIME

The Money Times

Sen. Pete Domenici on Mental Health
TIME -Oct 9, 2008
It requires group insurance plans to cover mental illnesses the same way as physical ones (no more higher co-pays, deductibles and limits on hospital stays) ...
Mental Health CoverageNew York Times
Bailout measure gives parity to mental health insurance coverageKansas City Star
Mental health insurance parity guaranteed in billThe Herald-Times (subscription)
AHN - The Herald-Times (subscription)
all 633 news articles


Insurance floods state Senate race - Houston Chronicle

Insurance floods state Senate race
Houston Chronicle, United States -21 hours ago
By ALAN BERNSTEIN Insurance for wind and flood damage has become a dominant topic in the race for the Houston-area state Senate seat in which Republican ...
University of Texas Medical School Drowning in Costs After IkeBloomberg
all 4 news articles

AIG's gallows humor gives bankers a laugh - Reuters

TopNews

AIG's gallows humor gives bankers a laugh
Reuters -6 hours ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Insurance giant American International Group, on the receiving end of a multi-billion dollar bailout from the Federal Reserve, ...
Sector Snap: Insurance companies fluctuateForbes
Taxpayer bailout tab could run into trillionsCNNMoney.com
AIG Increases Borrowings While Racing to Sell AssetsWall Street Journal
MiamiHerald.com - Austin American-Statesman
all 1,134 news articles

The Problem With Tax-Exempt Health Insurance - New York Times

Washington Post

The Problem With Tax-Exempt Health Insurance
New York Times, United States -Oct 10, 2008
During World War II, the War Labor Board ruled that fringe benefits, like health insurance, did not violate wage and price controls. Then, in the mid-1950s, ...
Video: McCain, Obama Differ Dramatically on Health CareAssociatedPress
Obama: “Subsidize” Americans Who Can’t Afford Health InsuranceAfro American
Sorting out the truth on health careTampabay.com
Ithaca Journal - East Valley Tribune
all 1,631 news articles

Health Insurance – A Major Problem in the US - eFluxMedia

eFluxMedia

Health Insurance – A Major Problem in the US
eFluxMedia -15 hours ago
The report was based on data from all states across gender, age and income gathered by the Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE), which is the only ...
Health Insurance Rates Lowest In TexaseMaxHealth.com
14.8 Percent of Lewis County Without Health InsuranceCentralia Chronicle
Health Insurance numbers released by census bureauWNCT
Annapolis Capital - AHN
all 75 news articles

Japan in desperate effort to halt its own downward economic spiral - Telegraph.co.uk

Telegraph.co.uk

Japan in desperate effort to halt its own downward economic spiral
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom -8 hours ago
Testimony to this were the nation's first direct victims: the 1000 employees of Yamato Life Insurance, as well as its 170000 policy holders, ...
Japan considers stimulus packageFinancial Times
Japan's Yamato Life Insurance files for bankruptcyHindu
Japanese insurance co Yamoto collapses; files for bankruptcyHindu Business Line
The Daily Yomiuri - Wall Street Journal
all 364 news articles

Two More US Banks Fail - TheStreet.com

WWJ

Two More US Banks Fail
TheStreet.com -11 hours ago
The Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation shut down Main Street Bank of Northville, Mich., and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was ...
Illinois, Michigan Banks Shut by Regulators; Toll Climbs to 15Bloomberg
Meridian Bank is closed by regulatorsChicago Tribune
Regulators shut Main St. BankDetroit Free Press
Reuters - MarketWatch
all 91 news articles

Learning the hard way about FDIC insurance - San Francisco Chronicle

CBS News

Learning the hard way about FDIC insurance
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA -3 hours ago
That experience motivated Quittel to mount a campaign urging the FDIC to require banks to warn depositors if their account balance is over the insurance...
FDIC approves $250000 insurance limitInternational Herald Tribune
Protect your money by diversifyingSeattle Post Intelligencer
US Weighs Backing Bank DebtWall Street Journal
Business Line - Alaskajournal.com
all 619 news articles

Insurance on Lehman Debt Is the Industry’s Next Test - New York Times

Telegraph.co.uk

Insurance on Lehman Debt Is the Industry’s Next Test
New York Times, United States -10 hours ago
David A. Paterson of New York, left, and Eric R. Dinallo, the insurance regulator, want credit-default swaps regulated. Nearly three weeks after the Wall ...
Lehman Auction Leaves Cloudy Picture For BanksForbes
Traders' worst fears realised at Lehmans auctionIndependent
Financial crisis: Lehman Brothers liabilities sale fails to pacify ...Telegraph.co.uk
Todays Financial News - Canadian Underwriter
all 226 news articles

Despite the Turmoil, Insurance Companies Appear Safe - TIME

Despite the Turmoil, Insurance Companies Appear Safe
TIME -Oct 10, 2008
Consumers could be forgiven for being jittery this week when news came that MetLife and The Hartford, two well known insurance giants, had experienced huge ...
Sector Snap: Insurance companies fluctuateForbes
Market Place Insurance Industry Joins Banking Giants on the Hot SeatNew York Times
Consider Staking a Claim in AllstateBarron's
Straits Times - Forbes
all 49 news articles