Employers and employees using Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and HSA-qualified health plans say they are satisfied with their coverage, spend less and are more engaged in managing health benefits, separate surveys indicate.

The tax-favored health care savings accounts are designed to help individuals pay for current qualified health care expenses and save for future medical and retiree health care expenses.

“With the vigorous debate over health care reform, and more specifically health insurance reform, the survey results indicate that employers and account holders more effectively control costs and are satisfied with their coverage by utilizing HSAs,” said Tom Hricik, national director for Dallas, Texas-based ACS Solution, an administrator of HSA plans. “The survey results also indicate that HSAs are being used by account holders as an important vehicle to save for future medical expenses.”

Employers found benefits to HSAs, as well. Exactly 86% of those offering the option for more than three years indicated that plan costs were the same or less than the previous year. Almost all employers surveyed (96%) said HSAs allow the company to continue offering group-sponsored health insurance.

The surveys were completed in the spring by Buck Consultants, an independent arm of ACS.

The surveys found that 84% of account holders said their HSA-qualified plans are affordable, and 72% said they pay the same or less than with a traditional type of health plan.

After moving to an HSA, more than half of account holders said they more closely monitor their health care costs, a finding that supports one of the key claims for how HSAs ultimately save money.

Exactly 48% said they read their medical bills more closely, 46% have a better understanding of where their money goes, and about 40% more closely evaluate costs before electing medical services, according to the surveys.

A majority of HSA holders (81%) said the ability to personally control health care costs is an important factor that caused them to select an HSA.