Key Highlights
As of January 2015, responding plans accounted for 19.7 million HSA/HDHP enrollees, up from 17.4 million in 2014. On average, plans participating in both 2014 and 2015 saw a 22 percent increase in enrollment.
Preferred provider organizations (PPOs) were the most popular HSA/HDHP product type, accounting for 72 percent of all enrollment. Most enrollment gains were in large group plans, with enrollment increasing from 74 percent to 78 percent between January 2014 and January 2015.
The gender distribution of enrollees covered by HSA/HDHPs in the individual market is 50 percent male and 50 percent female, and roughly 56 percent of these enrollees are age 40 or over.
Background
Health savings account (HSA) plans give consumers incentives to manage their own health care costs by coupling a tax-favored savings account used to pay medical expenses with a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) that meets certain requirements for deductibles and out-of-pocket expense limits. The funds in the HSA are owned by the individual and may be rolled over from year to year.
HSAs were authorized by the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and
Modernization Act of 2003 and entered the market in January 2004. Since then, AHIP has conducted an annual census of health insurance plans to monitor and report on the HSA/ HDHP health insurance market.