Can health savings accounts cure insurance blues?
By Kyung M. Song Seattle Times staff reporter ALAN BERNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES Dr. William Portuese, a facial plastic surgeon, is one of the Puget Sound region’s earliest converts to a new type of high-deductible health-care plan that uses health savings accounts. He says the account’s advantages are obvious, including substantial tax savings and lower premiums. E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most read articles Most e-mailed articles Dr. William Portuese, a Seattle facial plastic surgeon, recently trimmed thousands from his family’s health-insurance premiums by switching to a plan with a $3,400 deductible. But the payoff doesn’t stop there. He also can shelter an amount equal to his deductible in a tax-free health savings account (HSA) to cover those expenses his insurance doesn’t, reaping an additional $1,000 or more annually in tax savings. Portuese is one of the Puget Sound area’s earliest converts to a new type of health-care plan created by Congress last year
