Sunday, January 2, 2011

Are there health insurance plans that are low premium, high deductible?

I mean like a $5,000-$10,000 deductible or higher. I have a lot of savings but I'm going to have a part-time job for a little while. I'd like to just pay $100-200 a month or lower for health insurance. Or as low a premium as possible.
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You might consider enrolling in a "qualified" High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). This is health insurance with high deductible amounts, so it costs less than traditional health insurance. Under federal law, the minimum deductible in a HDHP plan is $1,100; the maximum deductible is $5,500 for an individual (and $11,000 a family). The advantage of an HDHP is that you can shelter up to $2,850 for an individual from state and federal taxes in a Health Savings Account (HSA). Depending on your tax bracket and where you live, that could save you as much as $1,499 in taxes per year, assuming a combined tax rate of 52.6%—9.3% in state income tax (California), 28% in federal income tax, and 15.3% in self-employment Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax. Another way of looking at it is that an HSA doubles your buying power, since you are using pre-tax dollars to pay for deductibles. The contributions you make to an HSA are yours to keep, rolling over each year. The funds are not taxed, provided you use them to pay medical expenses or withdraw them after age 65. The funds earn interest on a tax-deferred basis. Think of it as an IRA that you can use to pay out-of-pocket medical expenses. To find a qualified plan, you should speak with a health insurance broker. A broker works with several insurers and can find the best plan, rates and coverage. To find a broker, log on to a website like http://www.healthinsurancewiz.com and fill out a form requesting a free quote. Your information will be sent to a broker in your area who will contact you. Good luck!
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