Out of 8 million enrollees in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, only about 5 percent typically switch plans during the annual open season, according to Walton Francis of the Consumer’s Checkbook Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees and Annuitants.

from: GovExec.com

Whether you’re an employee being faced with new health insurance options through your company plan, run your own company like me, or purchase individual health insurance, the choices you make regarding your health insurance are an important part of your 2008 financial strategy.

from: Yahoo Finance

Looking for another way to benefit from tax breaks on saving for retirement? Then take a gander at the new, improved health savings account.

from: Kiplinger:

The average Massachusetts resident without health insurance will soon be able to obtain coverage for $175 per month through the state’s Connector, a health insurance exchange for individuals and small businesses.[1] Because the Connector can accept pre-tax defined contributions, many will secure even lower premiums. A middle-class individual, for example, whose employer designates the Connector as its employer plan, could purchase that same health coverage for just $109 per month.

from: Heritage.org

Because unused balances in the HSAs can be rolled over from year to year, some financial advisers are suggesting that the accounts can be a way for families to accumulate money to be used to cover health care costs in retirement, including Medicare deductibles and long-term care insurance.

from: Chicago Sun-Times

By the end of 2005, over 4 million people were enrolled in HSAs, 31 percent of them previously uninsured.

from…US News:

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio soon offer new health plan options for employers and individuals designed to help them to lead healthier lives and gain control over the rising cost of care.

from: Business Journal 

Most people are using their accounts to save rather than spend,” explained Laing, author of The Small Business Guide to HSAs and The Consumer’s Guide to Health Savings Accounts. “So, their account balances are building, and they’re finding that people want to go into different things, like investment products, to get a higher return.”

from: Baxter Bulletin

For example, a healthy, 25-year-old male in Indiana might pay a $40-a-month premium under Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s plan, which would include prescription drug coverage and preventative exams, according to Anthem. Deductibles for Anthem’s individual health insurance plans range from $2,000 to $10,000. The higher the deductible, the lower the monthly premium.

from: FW Business 

According to a study by the federal General Accountability Office, between 5 million and 6 million Americans were enrolled in such plans as of January 2006. While these consumers represent a fraction of Americans enrolled in private health insurance plans, this share is growing quickly.

from: Bankrate.com