Kaiser To Launch HSAs in California

Kaiser Permanente on Tuesday is expected to announce that it will begin offering coverage that combines health savings accounts with high deductible health plans to California employers and individuals beginning in January, the Oakland Tribune reports. Kaiser has been offering the plans, which it calls HealthInvestor (HSA), in other U.S. regions, such as the mid-Atlantic and Northwest.

Tony De Grassi, Kaiser product and planning director for sales and account management, said, "By December 2007, we expect 21,000 people to be enrolled in Northern California, and a similar number in Southern California."

The HSA plans will have a minimum deductible of $1,250 for individual coverage and $2,500 for family coverage. The deductible amount varies based on the amount of coverage a consumer chooses (Brevetti, Oakland Tribune, 8/15).