Comments on: Expect HSAs to Continue Taking Hits in Democratic Congress http://workforce.com/wpmu/washington/2008/05/19/expect-hsas-to-continue-taking-hits-in-democratic-congress/ An insider's view of how legislation and government regulation influence workforce management. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:36:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.3-2.2.1 By: Micheal Smith http://workforce.com/wpmu/washington/2008/05/19/expect-hsas-to-continue-taking-hits-in-democratic-congress/#comment-7700 Micheal Smith Thu, 29 May 2008 21:40:28 +0000 http://workforce.com/wpmu/washington/2008/05/19/expect-hsas-to-continue-taking-hits-in-democratic-congress/#comment-7700 Exellent article and peice of onfo. We all should take this election very seriously and vote for the person who has a plan to get the inflation down. Micheal Smith I think opinions on wide circles do count. <a href="http://widecirclesworld.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow">http://widecirclesworld.wordpress.com</a> http://widecirclesworld.wordpress.com Exellent article and peice of onfo. We all should take this election very seriously and vote for the person who has a plan to get the inflation down.
Micheal Smith

I think opinions on wide circles do count. http://widecirclesworld.wordpress.com
http://widecirclesworld.wordpress.com

]]> By: Entrepreneur & Mom http://workforce.com/wpmu/washington/2008/05/19/expect-hsas-to-continue-taking-hits-in-democratic-congress/#comment-7604 Entrepreneur & Mom Tue, 27 May 2008 16:54:46 +0000 http://workforce.com/wpmu/washington/2008/05/19/expect-hsas-to-continue-taking-hits-in-democratic-congress/#comment-7604 The HSA option offered by my husband\'s employer was the only saving grace that made it possible for our family to have health coverage, even though we are both college educated and my husband is a college professor with a PhD teaching at a University (albeit a private one). I cannot understand how members of Congress can assert that HSAs are simply tools for the wealthy to hide money from the IRS or somehow preventing the poor from obtaining coverage, because I would very much consider our family \ The HSA option offered by my husband\’s employer was the only saving grace that made it possible for our family to have health coverage, even though we are both college educated and my husband is a college professor with a PhD teaching at a University (albeit a private one). I cannot understand how members of Congress can assert that HSAs are simply tools for the wealthy to hide money from the IRS or somehow preventing the poor from obtaining coverage, because I would very much consider our family \

]]> By: Scott Borden http://workforce.com/wpmu/washington/2008/05/19/expect-hsas-to-continue-taking-hits-in-democratic-congress/#comment-7544 Scott Borden Thu, 22 May 2008 23:23:09 +0000 http://workforce.com/wpmu/washington/2008/05/19/expect-hsas-to-continue-taking-hits-in-democratic-congress/#comment-7544 The attacks on Health Savings Accounts are getting much louder. Unfortunately a lot of the rhetoric they use can be easily defeated with the facts. Myth #1. HSA users average $139,000 of adjusted gross income compared to $57,000 for everyone else. How can you compare these? "Everyone else" includes the uninsured, Medicaid recipients, and a whole host of other differentiators that make this comparison unrealistic. The real comparison should be HSA eligible plan purchasers compared to traditional Non Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP) health insurance purchasers. A recent Blue Cross Blue Shield survey (http://www.bcbs.com/news/bluetvradio/consumerdriven2007/cdhp-2007-external-report.pdf) shows on page 14 a 2% difference for household incomes above $100,000 per year opting for the HDHP HSA qualified plans compared to the traditional plans. The same 2% differential occurs for people with Master's degree or higher. This is a fair comparison. Myth #2. "These plans simply shift costs and responsibilities to consumers. It will discourage lower- and middle-income people from seeking care when they need it." Once again the same Blue Cross Blue Shield survey says otherwise on page 24. It shows no difference between HSA plan users and non-HSA plans in 3 areas: 1. Decided not to see the doctor 18% HSA-eligible - 18% Non-CDHP 2. Delayed going to the doctor or having a procedure 17% HSA-eligible - 17% Non-CDHP 3. Delayed filling or not filling a prescription 15% HSA-eligible - 15% Non-CDHP These attacks are typically from people who either don't see the importance in allowing people to be actively involved in their health care decisions with a vested interest in saving money or they simply desire for a single-payor health care system run by the government (Socialized Medicine). There is another website that shows the dark side of socialized medicine that we never seem to hear about... www.freemarketcure.com HSAs are providing exactly what they promised. The more we can get the truth out, the more people will embrace them. The attacks on Health Savings Accounts are getting much louder. Unfortunately a lot of the rhetoric they use can be easily defeated with the facts.

Myth #1. HSA users average $139,000 of adjusted gross income compared to $57,000 for everyone else.

How can you compare these? “Everyone else” includes the uninsured, Medicaid recipients, and a whole host of other differentiators that make this comparison unrealistic. The real comparison should be HSA eligible plan purchasers compared to traditional Non Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP) health insurance purchasers.

A recent Blue Cross Blue Shield survey (http://www.bcbs.com/news/bluetvradio/consumerdriven2007/cdhp-2007-external-report.pdf) shows on page 14 a 2% difference for household incomes above $100,000 per year opting for the HDHP HSA qualified plans compared to the traditional plans. The same 2% differential occurs for people with Master’s degree or higher. This is a fair comparison.

Myth #2. “These plans simply shift costs and responsibilities to consumers. It will discourage lower- and middle-income people from seeking care when they need it.”

Once again the same Blue Cross Blue Shield survey says otherwise on page 24. It shows no difference between HSA plan users and non-HSA plans in 3 areas:

1. Decided not to see the doctor
18% HSA-eligible - 18% Non-CDHP

2. Delayed going to the doctor or having a procedure
17% HSA-eligible - 17% Non-CDHP

3. Delayed filling or not filling a prescription
15% HSA-eligible - 15% Non-CDHP

These attacks are typically from people who either don’t see the importance in allowing people to be actively involved in their health care decisions with a vested interest in saving money or they simply desire for a single-payor health care system run by the government (Socialized Medicine).

There is another website that shows the dark side of socialized medicine that we never seem to hear about… www.freemarketcure.com

HSAs are providing exactly what they promised. The more we can get the truth out, the more people will embrace them.

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