*This post is brought to you by Healthcare.com. Opinions are my own.
This was something new, and I really wanted to share it with you! So interesting to find out that this holiday season, parents and grandparents can gift dollars to their children and grandchildren’s health savings accounts and help give the gift of healthcare this holiday season!
The money is there when they need it, and it can only be used for medical purposes, like cold medicine and paying for doctor’s bills. They can’t just frivolously spend the money on just anything, which should give the gifters, a sense of security. I absolutely LOVE this idea as we all can use help with medical bills at some point in our lives.
Now that the federal open enrollment period is underway and runs through February 15th, millions of Americans must purchase health insurance plans or face stiff tax penalties. Crazy to think about, but yes, very true. Many American’s have not shopped for health insurance before and most certainly don’t know all the of the options available to them or maybe they just don’t know the difference between each plan. Hey, I get it. It is difficult. Been there, done that.
Since everyone should have health insurance, simply helping someone in need find and pay for their healthcare is one of the most thoughtful holiday gifts people can give. I know I would have appreciated it and still would as we have some hefty medical bills sitting on our counter right now. :/
HealthCare.com is the nation’s leading privately owned unbiased search and comparison engine on the Internet for personal health insurance plans. Its offerings run the full gamut from state and federal exchange plans (including subsidies), to private plans from leading insurers.
- Give an IOU and enclose it in a card. Promise to sit down at a computer and help someone get online, look through the healthcare plan options available to them, see if they qualify for a government subsidy, and choose a plan before the open enrollment period closes. This free gift is great for people who may not be computer-literate, have eyesight problems, have difficulty with English, or may need further explanation of what the differences are between plan options.
- Contribute to someone’s Health Savings Account. HSA’s are tax‐exempt trusts or custodial accounts that individuals set up with a qualified HSA trustee to pay or reimburse certain qualified medical expenses. Family members can contribute to a loved one’s HSA. Contributions roll-over year to year until they are used. Before contributing, it’s important to check and see if the recipient has already put in the maximum allowed amount, which is currently $3,300 for an individual plan, and $6,550 for a family plan in 2014.
I also wanted to include a helpful infographic below, explaining ‘Everything You Need to Know About Shopping for Health Insurance‘. It really helps put it into perspective, I think.
If you still have questions about health insurance, I recommend checking out the top 10 health and financial questions to ask yourself when choosing a health insurance plan. It is extremely helpful and will hopefully answer any questions you may still have.
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Do you have health insurance?
Lily Kwan says
This website looks very useful. Thanks for sharing!
ellen beck says
I had no clue that there was even a Health Savings Account available but 3300 seems very low… especially if medical bills start mounting.
Angela saver says
This is a super idea! Thanks for sharing!
Jennifer Hiles says
What a wonderful idea! My daughters have so many toys and our house is so small. I have bank accounts for them but this is so unique and such a great idea. I will have to tell my friends and family about this and get some accounts started. Thank you for telling us about this.
vickie couturier says
I have insurance (medicare) which doesn’t pay much,,my husband wants to retire in a year and is worried about insurance
Mary says
That does sound like a useful gift! Thanks for the informative post!
Maryann D. says
Health insurance is so expensive but we definitely need it. All the information we can get help with is wonderful.
Marti Tabora says
An HSA is a great idea, I have health insurance through my employer, but I still can’t afford health care because it’s so expensive.
Connie says
This would really help my son and his family. Recently, their health insurance skyrocketed.
Andrea Kruse says
Great idea to gift something practical and meaningful this Christmas. I would love to do this for a college aged student. Giving someone piece of mind is always a gift of love.
Heather C says
We do have health insure, through my husband’s employer.
Digna D. says
Talk about a thoughtful gift. Something that almost anyone will use too. Thank you for sharing.
Jesica H says
Love any type of budgeting advice and this one is defiantly one to write down! Thanks for posting!
Stephanie Keeping says
I do have health insurance. I think it’s important to have because you never know what can happen.
Avry says
I didn’t know this was an option! What a great idea to tell the grandparents when they are asking what they can get the grand kids for Christmas
Liz Mays says
I haven’t had it for the last four years or so (since I got divorced). I know I need to get some again, but it’s totally intimidating to me.
Crystal says
I had never considered contributing to someone’s health fund. Health is one of the greatest gifts in my life, and I would love to share that with others.
Raijean says
this is such a great gift, I need someone to give it to me.
Kecia says
We have health insurance through my husband’s employer. I think gifting money for medical purposes is a great idea, so that way there’s always money there when you’re sick and need it!
Chelle @ Oh Just Stop Already says
I’m thankful we have insurance, it’s not as great as when my husband was active duty but I’m still grateful! I am going to send this to my mom though as I know she doesn’t have the options like we do and this looks like an affordable program to offer help.
Jennifer H says
Thankfully we have insurance through my husband’s job and it’s decent. I’m glad there are unbiased options for families like healthcare.com.
Ellen That Chic Mom says
Interesting idea. I can think of a lot of people who would really benefit from this.
Anne says
We just finished signing up for next year’s health plan. It always seems confusing going through the options, glad to have some explanations.
Sara P. (@SensiblySara) says
We do have health insurance – something I am SO thankful for! I like that relatives can donate to a health fund, though. Neat concept!
Melissa says
We do have health insurance but I know some that don’t. I like the idea of being able to help someone out with it.
Heather says
This is a realllly good idea. My dad often holds off going to the doctor because he can’t afford out of pocket. Things like this would be super helpful for him.
Diane says
A health savings account is a really great idea. We have a FSA and it has really come in handy this year!
Ashley Bree Perez says
Thanks for posting! 🙂 I appreciate it.
Whitney @ It's Gravy, Baby! says
This is such a practical and smart idea- I love it! This is perfect for people who don’t “need” anything at Christmas, but could use some help throughout the year.