June 28, 2023

High deductible health plans with health savings accounts (HSAs) can feel overwhelming. On one hand, the plan cost is usually less than that of a traditional copay plan but then you remember you may have to lay out a lot of money up front before your plan’s copays kick in. During this episode of “Under the Coverage,” we discuss health expenses and how to build funds in your HSA over time.

On this week’s podcast, “Health Savings Accounts – A Secret Stash,” Nova senior care navigator Jenelle Kaminski shares one of her biggest lessons since she started working in health plan administration about five years ago – how to maximize her HSA.

“There were times where …you feel that you might not have the available funding to pursue the health care that you require as an individual and I found that very discouraging,” Kaminski said. “But over time I realized I do have access to these resources and the ability to connect myself to them. I had the funds already available. They were already there for me.”

Kaminski notes before working in health insurance, she didn’t realize where HSA funds deducted from her pay were even going or how to use them. Learning how to effectively manage and use her HSA has been very impactful. Working in customer service, she speaks with many individuals who share similar confusion. Now her favorite part of her current role is being able to connect with members who don’t understand their benefits and being the catalyst to bridge the gap between confusion and understanding.

“When you’re in need of these resources, it’s hard to know where to turn to and that's why I love the position that I found myself in where I am that resource, you know, people get to call me and I get to do the explaining,” Kaminski said. “That’s really such a bright area of my life. That’s something I love to do. And I also talk about advocating for patients and making sure that people know how to find these resources that are available to them.” 

For more on HSAs, listen to the latest podcast, “Health Savings Accounts – A Secret Stash.”

In 2022, Nova launched “Under the Coverage,” a podcast featuring people who spend their working days focused on health benefits and health care, to share their insider tips and information they wish every health care consumer knew.

 

How to Listen

New episodes – each 15 minutes or less! – are added regularly and are available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Amazon Music and TuneIn. You can also listen via digital assistants like Alexa, Google and Cortana. Just ask Alexa to, “play the Under the Coverage podcast on Apple Podcasts” (or wherever you get your podcasts).

Have an idea for a future episode or a question you’d like answered? Find Under the Coverage on Twitter @UndrTheCoverage or email podcast@novahealthcare.com.