Final answer:
Employees can deposit pretax wages into Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to cover noncatastrophic medical expenses. HSAs are tax-advantaged and meant for those with high-deductible health plans, different from fixed-payment HMOs or insurance like pension and deposit insurance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Employers and employees can deposit pretax wages to pay for noncatastrophic medical expenses in Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). HSAs are designed for individuals with high-deductible health plans, allowing them to save money on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualified medical expenses. Contributions to an HSA reduce taxable income and can be withdrawn tax-free when used for eligible health care costs. This contrasts with Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), which provide health care paid for at a fixed amount per person enrolled, and with pension insurance and deposit insurance, which serve different purposes entirely.