Huh. In our case, the HSA plan was not higher, but then, each state implemented the ACA so very, very differently, I will probably never understand those differences.
I love our HSA. For our high-deductible plan, it's turned out to be more useful than I ever expected. We can pay for everything from co-pays to sunscreen to a lot of other drugstore stuff, to dental visits and glasses (for which we do not have coverage). And, as others have mentioned, if you don't use it, it just acts as a savings account and accrues until you withdraw later, tax free.