The health insurance available to a small-business owner – that's me – revolves around a high-deductible policy to cover catastrophic illness and a Health Savings Account (HSA) to cover predictable, routine and emergency healthcare needs, along with the costs of dental and optical care and the coverage of the high deductible. Our Republican overlords assure me this meets my needs perfectly!

I just shopped around and found a high-deductible policy that I can afford for my family. The policy includes an affordable monthly premium and a $10,000 deductible. It also includes a waiver disallowing coverage of my daughter's congenital condition.

Now I'm shopping for an HSA. I called ten banks located here in Fort Collins, Colorado and obtained the comparative costs shown below. Surprisingly, most financial-services representatives and personal bankers, who I spoke with, were unfamiliar with their bank's HSAs. The personal banker at US Bank (which offers the best deal in Fort Collins) said they rarely sell them.

Centennial Bank of the West – Purchase price: free. Yearly fee: $36.

Compass Bank Fort Collins – Does not sell HSAs.

First Bank Fort Collins – Purchase price: free. Yearly fee: $25.

First Community Bank – Purchase price: free. Yearly fee: $36 (waived when balance >$500).

First National Bank Fort Collins – Purchase price: $15. Yearly fee: $25.

Home State Bank Fort Collins – Purchase price: free. Yearly fee: $25.

Key Bank – Purchase price: $25. Yearly fees: $60 (waived when balance >$500) + $10 (never waived).

US Bank – Purchase price: free. Yearly fee: $20.

Washington Mutual – Does not sell HSAs.

Wells Fargo Bank – Purchase price: free. Yearly fee: $51.

None of these HSAs, however, beats the deal available at River Valley State Bank, which is headquartered in Wausau, Wisconsin and serves Central Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. River Valley State Bank offers an HSA with no fees at all. I called the bank and inquired about opening one of their HSAs. The financial-services representative said they are legally prohibited from selling an HSA to a consumer in Colorado.

Since I won't be purchasing my HSA from River Valley, something I need to check out is whether a bank's yearly fee to maintain my HSA qualifies as a deductible medical expense.