Health Savings Account Blog

The ultimate goal is a smart debit card that will carry all the information needed to make a healthcare purchasing transaction transparent, efficient and seamless.

The majority of health accounts do have debit cards tied to flexible spending accounts and health reimbursement arrangements, which are set up and controlled by employers to pay for employees’ qualified medical expenses. Industry observers say the more recent adoption of Health Savings Accounts, which are tied to high-deductible health insurance plans, will further propel debit card use.

However, most systems do not feature instant processing and approval of a health insurance claim... and without that “real-time claims adjudication” feature, most health purchases cannot be as simple as a department-store purchase.

A few large insurers are making progress. Humana Health Insurance has launched a successful real time claims adjudication system in six medical practice sites so that physicians’ offices can be paid in a matter of seconds. This four-month pilot project enabled the clinic staff at MacGregor Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, to get a claim back from the insurer so the bill could be presented to the patient on the spot.

United Healthcare is unveiling an integrated ID and debit card that will store members’ identification, eligibility status and health records. Using a card reader connected to the provider’s computer via a standard USB port, the provider can then call up the patient’s information on the UnitedHealth-CareOnline provider portal. This system would enable a claim to be submitted, and within 10 seconds the provider would know the reimbursement and how much the patient would owe.

All this innovation will further help Health Savings Account owners now and in the future. Learn more about Health Savings Accounts at: http://www.health--savings--accounts.com