Health Savings Accounts and the Future of American Health Care

Richard L. Kaplan:This article examines the recent enactment of Health Savings Accounts (HSA) as they might affect how Americans obtain coverage for their health care expenses and the role that personal responsibility will play in that process. It explains the historical development of this country’s tying health insurance to current employment status and especially the role of tax policy in that phenomenon. After considering the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, the article analyzes the key elements of the 2003 legislation that created HSAs. This part examines the high deductible insurance plan that must accompany an HSA, including its limit on out-of-pocket expenditures and the scope of additional insurance permitted.