Schism in health care coverage

"Individuals who don't have large annual health care costs can profit from switching to HSA accounts," says JoAnn Laing, author of the forthcoming book “The Consumer Guide to HSAs.”

"Now, 73 percent of Americans spend $500 or less each year on health care," Laing said. "If they funded HSAs up to the deductible, she said, these consumers would still have a sizeable portion to roll over to the following year. Unused funds build up from year to year, tax free, and may be used to pay for future health care needs."

"HSAs also benefit companies, which are now seeing premiums for traditional health insurance plans rise by as much as 15 percent annually. Many are offering to use the money they expect to save to contribute to employees’ HSA accounts," Laing says.

"These accounts are owned and controlled by the individual, and they can take them from one employer to another, so they give people greater freedom," she added.

Read the full article on MSNBC here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6306999/