In attempting to purchase health care insurance, individuals face several problems:

In attempting to purchase health care insurance, individuals face several problems:

1. Cost
   Due to the high cost of traditional health insurance coverage, it is difficult (if not impossible) for many people to purchase adequate health insurance protection at an affordable price. Without this protection, however, the financial impact of a severe injury or illness can be devastating.
2. Choice
   While managed care has produced cost savings, people enrolled in managed care plans generally find their choice of doctors restricted. There is also increasing concern about the interference of bureaucracies in the doctor-patient relationship.
3. Control
   Individuals who need little or no health care receive no financial reward under traditional or managed care plans, nor is there any financial incentive under these plans for individuals to exercise control over their health care expenditures.
   By combining tax-advantaged personal savings with a high-deductible health insurance plan, the Health Savings Account (HSA) puts you in control of your own health care dollars, while protecting you and your family against the cost of a severe illness or injury.