HSA will Change the Way you USE Health Insurance

Short post but times have changed…It used to be that if one of your kids broke a bone or needed stitches or got hit by a car that you would go to the nearest emergency room.  They would ask for your insurance information and $150 dollars later, which is the emergency room visit cost, services would be rendered.  Not at all the same experience with an HSA (Health Savings Account).

HSA’s force the buyer to be just that a consumer vs. a user.  When one is responsible for 100% of health insurance up to the deductible, they get choosy.  Just what happened to us the other night.

Here is the story:  Sawyer puts his leg through our front door.  Sophie is beside herself screaming at this point.  This is not anything new so I find Allison and she looks like a frantic ghost.  At this point, I am running towards a crying Sawyer.  Blood, gash, goo and all…I become Mighty Dog because I am going to save the day.  I sweep up the wounded warrior head to the car and onto the emergency room.  While there I receive a call to get out of that particular hospital, they are terrible with insurance.  So I call around.  THIS IS THE KIND OF THING YOU DO WITH CAR STEREOS AND FURNITURE, NOT YOUR YOUNGEST BLEEDING LEG.

I have a sense of guilt for one moment when I ask the big hospital people, “Can you beat this price?” They hem and haw and I say, “The urgent care said this price!”  “Well sir we have no way to know blah, blah, blah…” At this point, I tell the Mrs. get the Warrior ready, we are going.  A first for me:  We walked out of the hospital and headed to an Urgent Care place.  Am I crazy?  I thought, “I don’t think Sawyer needs the Cadillac version of stitches when a Pinto version would do just fine!” We got there and had a grand ole time.  $250 dollars later which was $75 less than the quoted price, my boy is all stitched up and happy.

I HAVE NO DOUBT IN MY MIND WE WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT AROUND $500-$750 AT THE BIG OLE HOSPITAL.  I HEARD THEY HAVE $50 Q-TIPS.