On April 30, 2008 America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) released its 4^th annual survey of enrollment in HSA-qualified health plans. As of January, 2008, more than 6.1 million Americans are covered HSA insurance plans, a 35 percent increase over last year and almost double the number in 2006. This is an increase of approximately 1.6 million Americans enrolled in an HSA plan since January 2007.Other key findings from the latest survey include: · The majority of the enrollment continues to come from the employer-based group market – 4.6 million Americans with HSA coverage had employer-based coverage. 30 percent of individuals covered by an HSA plan were in the small group market, 45 percent were in the large-group market, and the remaining 25 percent were in the individual market.· Small businesses are strongly embracing HSAs – HSA enrollment in the small group market increased 70 percent over the past year. Over 1.8 million Americans working for small businesses now have coverage through HSAs.· HSAs continue to make health insurance more affordable for the uninsured — HSA products accounted for 31 percent of new coverage issued in the small-group market and 27 percent of their new purchases of health insurance in the individual market.

For the first time, AHIP’s survey also provides enrollment data by state. For example, they find that HSA enrollment as a percentage of individuals with private coverage (under age 65) is estimated to be the highest in Minnesota (9.2 percent), followed by Louisiana (9.0 percent), Washington, D.C. (8.7 percent), Vermont (7.5 percent) and Colorado (7.1 percent). States with the largest numbers of enrollees were California (639,000), Florida (397,000), Illinois (384,000), Texas (358,000), Ohio (353,000), and Minnesota (325,000). On the low end are Hawaii (0.1 percent), Massachusetts (0.9 percent), New Mexico (0.9 percent), West Virginia (1.0 percent), and New York (1.1 percent). None of these states with low enrollment is surprising.

The enrollment figures demonstrate that HSAs have now hit the mainstream market. HSAs continue to be offered as a benefit option, if not the only option, by most companies. With the state of the economy and continued health care inflation, what choice do employers have?