Using Health Savings Accounts (HSA’s) for Second Opinions

Have you ever been given a prescription by your provider for a medication or a recommendation for a test, scan, surgery, or any other kind of medical intervention about which you had some concerns and wanted more and maybe different information? Wonder if an independent second opinion might be helpful? (And I don’t mean by your provider’s business partner who may share the same views, same office, experience, employer, etc.)

Searching out a second opinion doesn’t mean you don’t trust your provider or doubt their ability. It’s not an insult or an affront to them. Assume your provider wants you to have the best care and outcome possible. If you could optimize that process by consulting with another provider, isn’t that a win-win situation?

Yes, it’s wishful thinking that one provider can always make the right decisions and have the right answers for all concerns. Good providers want to collaborate with their patients or clients. A second opinion can make you a more educated consumer and present an option your primary provider was unaware of.

“But who’s going to pay for it” is often a primary concern when it comes to care assumed not covered by insurance. In fact, that’s the question that heightened my appreciation for HSA’s in the first place. I wrote a book titled “Cherish the Girls, A Well-Rounded Approach to Breast Health and Wellness.” In it, I suggest women, for many reasons, consider getting a thermogram instead of a mammogram.

I’ve seen thermograms offered in the SF Bay Area for as little as $200. I know women who spend more than $200 on a pair of shoes. I don’t think the cost of a thermogram is really the issue, but it might be a barrier that can be overcome by using HSA funds.

HSA’s cover qualified medical expenses. HSA’s cover therapists, chiropractors, midwives, and many other licensed providers. If in doubt, a woman who wants her HSA to cover a thermogram can get a Letter of Medical Intent signed by her physician to approve the expense.

A Health Savings Account is just that … a savings account for your health needs. It’s not a savings account for just medical expenses. It’s a savings account that allows you to consider more options for the prevention and treatment of disease, not limited to medical treatment.

Expanding your thinking about possibilities for how these funds may be used at critical times in your life or that of your family may make a bigger difference in your life than you can imagine.

Contact me at 541-725-5977 if you think I can support you or your business in any way.