Health savings accounts: early estimates of national take-up

Health Aff (Millwood). 2005 Nov-Dec;24(6):1582-91. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.24.6.1582.

Abstract

The 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) approved tax-advantaged health savings accounts (HSAs) for certain high-deductible health insurance plans. We predict that MMA could lead to approximately 3.2 million HSA contracts among Americans ages 19-64 who are not students, not enrolled in public health insurance plans, and not eligible for group coverage as a dependent. We simulate the effect of several additional tax subsidies for HSAs. We predict that the Bush administration's refundable tax-credit proposal would double HSA take-up and reduce the number of uninsured people by 2.9 million, at an annual cost of $8.1 billion.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Community Participation
  • Health Benefit Plans, Employee
  • Humans
  • Medical Savings Accounts / economics
  • Medical Savings Accounts / statistics & numerical data*
  • Medically Uninsured
  • Medicare / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Middle Aged
  • United States