Individuals pay different premium amounts based on whether they are enrolled as single members or family members.  They also pay different amounts if they participate in the Town of Westerly's Wellness Program.

Below you will find documents that outline the benefits and coverage provided by the HDHP - HSA plan.

The Health Savings Account (HSA) works in conjunction with the High Deductible Health Plan.  The HSA is a bank account opened up for employees by the Town, and allows both Town and employee contributions up to the IRS maximums.  Unlike, the FSA, the HSA is not a "use it  or lose it" plan.  Any monies put into the HSA by either the Town or the employee is the employee's money as long as the account exists.  The Town is not able to touch the money, even if the employee separates employment.  Upon separation of employment, the money goes with the employee, who can spend the money on qualified expenses.

Employees who are over 65 and have enrolled in Medicare Part A are NOT eligible to participate in an HSA.  All contributions made to the HSA before the employee turned 65 can remain in the account until used but no new contributions can be made to the account.  In lieu of the HSA, the Town offer those employees over 65 access to an Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) in an amount equal to the Town's contribution for the plan year.  However, these monies do not belong to the employee and unused monies are not carried over. 

For more information on the HRA click here.

BCBSRI has developed the attached flyer that explains how registered members can use their cost estimator tool on the member website to help them in determining the approximate cost for services based upon location and provider. This tool was mentioned during the HSA meetings, and BCBSRI thinks it is a great tool for anyone who is on the HSA plan.

Many time members ask where they can see the cost of services so they can think about where to go for certain procedures, eg. MRI, should they go to a hospital or a free standing facility. This tool allows them to see the costs differences between facilities, so that if they have time, they can make the choice of where to spend their healthcare dollars.