CashDoctorcom American Need to do The Math When if Comes to Health Care



February 22, 2005 -- The citizens of our great nation are on the brink of a healthcare revolution and they may not even know it. Recent report shows that in 2004 Americans spent over $1.9 Trillion on healthcare expenses. Television, radio, newspapers and magazines across the country are sharing reports and printing articles daily on how healthcare costs are out of control. Articles talk about how President Bush's plan of Health Savings Accounts (HSA) are going to save or destroy health care. Democrats and Republicans, agree that something has to be done. If we do nothing, costs will continue to spiral up out of control.

President Bush signed into law the permanent creation of HSAs as part of the Consumer Directed Healthcare Plan (CDHP) system in December 2003, thus allowing individuals, employees and self-employed to purchase high deductible health insurance plans combined with the tax advantaged savings accounts. The difference over current managed care plans is the fact that the insured does not have co-payments for doctor visits or prescriptions. The insured pays for these services from the tax favored Health Savings Account. This new style of plan engages the consumer in the cost of healthcare from the first dollar. Managed care pre-payment plans (HMO, PPO& POS) with co-pays insulate the insured from the actual cost of healthcare. The knowledge of the real cost is one of the keys to successfully reducing the cost of healthcare today and into the future.

Currently, political spin machines are devising reports and studies to support their theories that HSA plans are bad for Americans. In order to cut through all of the hype, Americans need to do the math. Take, for instance, the healthcare options being offered to ALL state employees in Florida and South Carolina and Federal employees. This plan is becoming the national model for all governments, unions and businesses large and small. The Florida plan helps bring out the true strength of consumer directed healthcare plan. CashDoctor.com has concluded that there must be two essential criteria for a plan to succeed:

1.The employee or individual must take ownership and responsibility of the savings contribution at time of deposit regardless if the employee, employer or both make the contribution
2.There must be a significant savings in monthly premiums over the current managed care plan.

With the right ingredients, Americans either rich or poor, healthy or sick, will all benefit from a properly designed Consumer Directed Healthcare Plan. The most recent estimate is that there are over 3.2 million employees already participating in CDHP plans across the nation. Healthcare organizations and insurance companies are introducing the HSA qualified plans faster than any other plan type in history.

The Florida plan, developed and implemented by Florida Governor Jeb Bush and his advisers, has the two ingredients needed to be successful. First of all, the state has committed to contribute to the employees' savings accounts, on a matching basis, up to $500 for an individual and $1000 for a family. This money is fully vested to the employee at time of deposit. Secondly, the state plan offers significant monthly premium savings for the employee. For a family, the savings is $138 per month or $1656 per year. The Florida plan is faced with one challengeinsuring that employees understand just how the plan works.

Florida state employees are faced with the following choices in healthcare. Do a comparison and choose the plan that makes the best financial and health sense and the best decision for the employee and their family. Here are five questions Americans and their families must ask themselves:

1.Would you like the option to choose your own provider or be restricted by having to access healthcare via only a primary care provider and limited network of specialists

2.Would you like to spend $2088 out of your paycheck or spend $0 and receive a check from the state for $256 because you did not use your plan during the year State employees receive free healthcare if they stay healthy. (Yes, there are healthy Americans. Actually 80% of the population does not spend more than $500 per year on their health care).

3.What if your family was to become very sick Would you want a plan that could cost you out-of-pocket over $10,000 or a plan where the out-of-pocket would not cost more than $4750

4.Would you like a plan that allowed you to pay all out-of-pocket expenses with untaxed dollars or would you like to spend $8000+ in after tax dollars

5.If your family remained healthy, would you like the potential to accumulate, at no additional cost, an extra $125,000 or more for retirement over 25 years
Now "Just do the math". If you picked CHOICE, control of your money, tax deductions, retirement benefits and limit to your out-of-pocket expenses, you choose the new Florida HSA plan over the current managed care (HMO) option.

Now citizens across the USA can have this empowering healthcare plan. They need to know this and they need to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to care for themselves and their family today and into the future. Federal, state, local governments, individuals and businesses across the nation are moving forward to empower the citizens of this great nation with the personal responsibility for their health and healthcare. Americans need to embrace this new system and they will reap the benefits if they take action today!

About CashDoctor.com
CashDoctor.com is a local and on-line community of consumers, healthcare service professionals, and healthcare benefits specialists dedicated to putting a stop to escalating healthcare cost. CashDoctor.com was conceived and founded by a group of concerned consumers, medical service providers and healthcare benefit specialists frustrated with the current system and devoted to bringing about a major change in the current healthcare system. CashDoctor.com is committed to putting the power of healthcare back into the hands of the consumers and their healthcare professional advisors through the support of a two payer system, on-line transparent pricing and continuing education.





CashDoctorcom American Need to do The Math When if Comes to Health Care