According to the survey, nearly eight out of 10 HSA holders were “very satisfied” with their HSA. The results indicated that satisfaction increased among account holders who used their Health Savings Accounts more frequently and among longer-term account holders.

It’s not too late to save on your 2011 taxes by depositing the maximum contribution into your Health Savings Account. You still have until April 15, 2012 to make a tax deductible contribution into your HSA of $3,050 for singles and $6,150 for families.

Low-cost HSA plans, like all plans with deductibles, must now cover preventive health care before policyholders have spent enough on their own health care to meet the plan's deductible.

Plus, HSA money is yours to keep in contrast to flexible spending accounts. Those funds are only available until the end of the year.

There's even a program called "My HSA Rewards" that lets you earn cash-back from purchases to build your HSA balance. That's great at Christmas time, but it works throughout the year.

First, they are very easy to use. Some financial institutions offer debt cards with a HSA, and credit cards attached to a HSA may be available soon.

Second, HSA funds are yours to keep.

Buck Consultants conducted a survey that revealed that Health Savings Accounts are not only saving employers and consumers money, but are also helping employees (and retirees) make better decisions about their healthcare. Employers said that the cost of providing HSA high-deductible health plans is considerably less than that of providing a standard health plan.

Before you can start a HSA, you must have a high-deductible health plan and not just any plan will do. Be sure to get a plan that is qualified to be combined with a HSA.

Health Savings Accounts (HSA) are owned by the employee, rather than the employer, even if the employer funds that HSA. These funds can be used to pay for qualified health care expenses, or kept for retirement.

When you contribute to a HSA, you can take a tax deduction to keep your federal, and almost always state, income taxes low. You don’t even have to itemize deductions to claim your HSA contribution as a deduction.

According to the surveys, 77 percent of employers said that high-deductible health plans that worked with a Health Savings Account (HSA) could help control rising medical care costs. That's because a HSA can grow faster than traditional savings account in which earnings are taxed. Then, the savings can be used to pay for qualified medical expenses not covered by the HSA insurance.

HSA plans will enable them to pay for certain medical care expenses not covered by insurance. If HSA funds are not needed for health care, the balance can grow with tax-free earnings to add to their retirement savings.

Starting a HSA requires a very specific high-deductible insurance plan. These plan deductibles start at $1,200 for individuals or $2,400 for families, but not all plans that meet the criteria will work. Confirm a plan is HSA eligible up front.

Basically, a Health Savings Account is a tax-advantaged account that is linked with a HSA-qualified high-deductible health plan. You can set up a HSA with private insurance companies or financial institutions like banks.

If you are in a high tax bracket, you can definitely benefit from an HSA plan. You can lower your federal income taxes, and even your state income taxes in almost any state, via HSA contributions. You don't even need to itemize deductions because HSA contributions are considered "above the line" deductions.

When there is an employer/employee business relationship, such as your spouse works at least part-time in the business, you can set up a Health Reimbursement Arrangement so that your business can reimburse you for health insurance and other health care expenses.