A high deductible health plan meets the following criteria: (1) For self-only policies, a qualified health plan must have a minimum deductible of $1,150 with a $5,800 max out-of-pocket expenses. (2) For family policies, a qualified health plan must have a minimum deductible of $2,300 with a $11,600 max out-of-pocket expenses. Out-of-pocket expenses include deductibles, co-payments, and other amounts the participant must pay for covered benefits, but do not include premiums for covered benefits. Generally, a plan that does not specify an out-of-pocket maximum is not an HDHP. However, if a plan is structured in such a way that the account owner would never exceed the out-of-pocket limitation, then the plan could be considered a HDHP. High deductible health plans can have first dollar coverage (no deductible) for preventive care and higher out-of-pocket expenses (copays & coinsurance) for non-network services. In order to create an HSA, you need to be covered by an insurance plan that has a deductible that is considered high. Many people already own a plan that qualifies or will do so in the near future due to the lower premiums that such plans offer. The dollar amounts described above are subject to annual cost of living adjustments beyond 2009. You must have an HDHP if you want to open an HSA. Sometimes referred to as a "catastrophic" health insurance plan, an HDHP is an inexpensive health insurance plan that generally doesn't pay for the first several thousand dollars of health care expenses (i.e., your "deductible") but will generally cover you after that. Of course, your HSA is available to help you pay for the expenses your plan does not cover.