According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), a nonpartisan and nonprofit research group, both health savings accounts (HSAs) and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) are having a period of renewed growth after a drop during the economic recession. The average account balance has increased over the past two years, as well. Results from the 2012 EBRI-sponsored Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey indicated that the average account balances for HSAs and HRAs were level between 2008 and 2009 but fell in 2010. Having increased in 2011 through to 2012, the survey reports that the average rebound was up a full 9% increase from 2010 into 2011 and a further 4% in 2012. Meanwhile, 2012 brought $17.8 billion in HSAs and HRAs across approximately 11.6 million accounts – up from 2006 when the numbers were 1.3 million accounts and $873.4 million in balances.

According to the EBRI, HSAs and HRAs are relatively new types of tax-advantaged accounts, only appearing in the workplace a little over a decade ago. Considering “consumer-driven” health plans, they give holders better control over funding for health care services, leading to what proponents call more responsible spending. Interestingly, the EBRI found that certain health behaviors had very little to do with how high account balances were for HSAs and HRAs. For instance, Paul Fronstin, the author of the EBRI report, noted that some smokers had more money in their accounts than those who didn’t smoke. Exercise had little discernable effect.

Alongside an effective workplace wellness program, an HSA – which are paired with a high deductible health plan (HDHP) – could inspire both better health and health responsibility in workers. A HDHP features higher deductibles than traditional health plans, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, but workers are able to offset that cost with the funds in their HSA.

Hearts aren’t just for Valentine’s this February. American Heart Month marks a time of year when citizens of the United States should take some time to think about their own heart health as well as that of their loved ones. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. In fact, one in every three deaths occurring within the states is due to either heart disease or stroke. That works out to 2,200 deaths per day. The CDC also points out that in 2010, the cost of heart disease and stroke-related hospitalizations totaled more than $444 billion in healthcare expenses. Considering that cardiovascular health is of the utmost importance, there’s no reason not to fight for it, and the very first step is education.

Employers especially should utilize workplace wellness programs to draw attention to cardiovascular health, and American Heart Month is the perfect opportunity to do so. Not only can workplace wellness programs reduce medical costs by an average of more than 18% per employee, according to a report from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, recent Gallup studies indicate a correlation between healthier lifestyles and more engaged employees.

Wellness programs that incorporate gym opportunities, prescription management, dietary assistance or other innovative healthcare management solutions could improve employee health and help reduce the overwhelming number of cardiovascular-related deaths each year. Employers should start by informing workers about proper heart health care – physical activity for at least half an hour more than three days a week, the necessity of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, regularly getting ones blood pressure and cholesterol checked, the possible benefits of daily aspirin and – of course – giving up smoking. All of these are key tenets of good cardiovascular health, according to the CDC.