A health savings account, or HSA, is a savings account that lets you set aside pretax money for medical costs. It's handy to save for health care expenses and reduce your taxable income. But not everyone can — or should — sign up for the kind of health insurance plan required to use an HSA. Here's how HSAs work and how they can benefit you.   Qualifying for an HSA To save to an HSA, you must enroll in a high-deductible health insurance plan, or HDHP, as defined by the government. High-deductible health plans are redefined...

High-deductible health plans usually carry lower premiums but require more out-of-pocket spending before insurance starts paying for care. Meanwhile, health insurance plans with lower deductibles offer more predictable costs and often more generous coverage, but they usually come with higher premiums. What is a high-deductible health plan? Compared to a traditional low-deductible health plan, a high-deductible health plan, or HDHP, requires you to pay a higher amount for medical care out of pocket before your insurance starts covering eligible costs. The amount you pay out of pocket is called the deductible. According to the IRS, an HDHP...