Traditional health insurance does not work for our family, so we looked at investing in a HSA (Health Savings Account). These accounts let you set back money each year to pay for any medical expenses. The money is yours and when you reach retirement age you have access to that money that you did not have to use for medical purposes.

It is like buying a house as opposed to leasing a house.

The only catch is that you have to purchase health insurance with a high deductible even if you choose the direction of the HSA. These insurance policies do not cover much of anything (if anything) until after you meet that high deductible. The theory is that you can use the money in your HSA to pay expenses until you reach that high deductible.

Most of the high deductible insurance policies that I have found for the family are not cheap. We would be paying about the same for one that we currently pay for full coverage through my husband’s employment. I understand that we would probably have to pay a little more for full coverage if we bought insurance privately, but not so much that it justifies the switch to investing in a HSA account.

Another catch is that when you make the switch you need to have enough money set aside to cover that high deductible. Most people are not able to set aside extra money to save when paying these high premiums for regular insurance. And to add insult to injury (pun intended), the government prevents you from opening a HSA account until you do have that high deductible policy even if you have full coverage through another policy.

I know there is a way out of this maze. Every corner I turn leaves me facing another wall. We want to be good stewards of our money. We want to prepare for the future. But the health insurance option, government regulations and basic craziness of it all do NOT make the journey an easy one.

The emotional trauma that I’m currently experiencing is SO MUCH MORE. I’m not dealing with my insurance company because the entire fault lies with the other party. I am dealing with a body shop and dealership that I have worked with in the past. And I made the ULTIMATE in consumer mistakes. I trusted those people and skipped protocol.

My journey began the day after the wreck. I started at a rental company (because I knew we would have to have a family sized vehicle to replace the wrecked mini-van). My goal was to stop at three body shops to get estimates. The first one is the one that I’m now dealing with because it was the only one that I got.

All of the mess that I’m going through now could have been avoided if I had done what I know to do.

Tips for Dealing with Insurance

1. Always get more than one estimate – not only for the purpose of proof but for your own comfort. Three companies have estimates that are similar and that include all the same components then you will feel more confident in the repairs no matter who made those repairs.

2. Never get partial estimates. In our case, the sliding door was too damaged to open. The estimate I first got was for the damage that could be seen before the door was open. That’s the one the insurance company used to base their estimate.

3. Write down EVERYTHING! Keep a record of everything that is said and every one that says it. Take pictures. Be present for every inspection or estimate. Keep it all in a file so that you can easily access the information.

4. Know your rights. Find out what your legal rights are and what the ordinary and customary rights are as well.

An accident is an accident and is not the time to get greedy, but that works both ways. The insurance company, the body shops and anyone else involved needs to be straight and honest. You can protect your rights and assets by knowing what you are due and how to go about collecting.