Clark is a big advocate of Health Savings Accounts or HSAs, a new form of health coverage for which more than one million people have signed up. The most interested are the self employed and small business owners, but more corporations are starting to offer HSAs to employees, as well. Basically, members pay a $1,000 deductible up front and, in return, their premiums go down over time. At the same time, members can put money into a tax- free HSA, which earns interest and can be used down the road to pay for healthcare. It changes things because the member becomes the customer, not the company supplying the insurance. The problem is that some companies charge a significant amount to open an account. The Web site
hsafinder.com lists the 10 worst companies out there today, and the worst one charges a $235 fee annual fee. So, if you open an account with $1,000, you immediately have only $765. Other companies charge no fee at all and those are the companies you want to join. When setting up your HSA, be aware of what charges are involved. There shouldn’t be any!