We've just been royally screwed by my husband's employer and health insurance co.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Depending on your situation, the HSA isn't such a bad deal.

An insurance policy that didn't have a high deductible and copays would be even better, but those seem to be disappearing. The HSA is actually somewhat useful in that you can deduct contributions to it from your taxes (up to a certain amount which I don't remember), and the money is yours forever. You can carry it over to the following years, and take it with you if you change jobs or retire. If you spend it on approved medical expenses you never have to pay any tax on it, but you can use it for anything (it just becomes taxable income in that year).

I still have some money in mine even though I retired a couple of years ago and now have Medicare. If something comes up that Medicare or a supplement doesn't cover I can still use that HSA money.