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With all the talk about healthcare, few people discuss about one shocking phenomenon that defies all logic.  Young, single people who are healthy often opt for expensive PPOs with 80-90% coverage.  They want the security of coverage "in case something happens".  But the financial metrics for young people hardly justify the additional cost of premiums.  In fact many times the difference in premiums is more than the maximum deductible.  Young people who seldom go to the doctor would benefit far more from taking high deductible programs and banking the difference in premiums into a Health Savings Account.  If something truly catastrophic happens after a few years, they are likely to have a health war chest that could easily pay for the maximum deductible.  And of course if nothing happens which is statistically far more likely, you may have $10,000 or more to help you later in life.

Of course, some employees opt for the more expensive plans because their employer picks up the tab or at least most of it.  But with more employers shifting the burden to employees, young people should consider lower cost high deductible programs.

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