Consumer Engagement Series

Health First Health Plans is proud to offer new Consumer Engagement Series -- high-deductible health plans designed to work with Health Savings Accounts (HSA). The newest innovation in health benefits, an HSA allows your employer to offer you a comprehensive health plan, while empowering you, the consumer, to manage your health care costs. You and/or your employer contribute tax-free dollars to the HSA, and you withdraw money tax free to pay for eligible medical expenses.

With lower premiums, tax-sheltered savings, more flexibility than medical and flexible spending accounts, and numerous additional advantages, you and your employer both win. Plus, you decide how to invest in your health, creating a more dynamic health care experience. To learn more, ask your benefits manager or contact us.

Benefit options

How do these plans work?

Since these plans feature higher deductibles, we can offer them at lower premiums. And that enables you to have more control over comparing all aspects of your care, such as location, quality, convenience, and also cost -- the same way you choose other products and services you buy.

All of our plans include:

• No referrals required for specialty care within our network
• Access to out-of-network care (higher coinsurance applies)
• $5,000,000 lifetime maximum
• In-network preventive care covered at 100%, with no deductibles or coinsurance

That's the peace of mind you get when you're covered by Health First Health Plans.

What is an HSA?

Health First Health Plans has joined with Wells Fargo Bank to provide HSAs. The HSA operates much like a 401(k). It's set up as a custodial account for the employee that can pay for medical expenses with pre-tax and tax-deductible dollars. Funds can be used for qualifying expenses incurred by the employee, his or her spouse or dependent children. As a preferred HSA provider, Wells Fargo will provide account holders with a debit card that can be used to pay for qualifying medical expenses.

Employers can establish an HSA on behalf of their employees, or simply offer a qualified high-deductible health plan that allows employees to establish an HSA on their own, through the custodian of their choice.

More about HSAs