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The need for price transparency is the hottest conversation right now in the world of consumer directed health care. I hear pleas for more information in my radio interviews, from people writing us through our website, and in talks around the country, most recently yesterday in Milwaukee. Coincidentally, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel carries an article today about Humana getting into the pricing … [Read more...] about Price Transparency

Despite the media's obsession this week with Vice President Cheney's quail hunting accident in Texas, President Bush devoted his week to an intense focus on his new health care proposals. Mr. Bush traveled on Wednesday to Wendy's International in Dublin, Ohio, to praise the chain for being among the first major companies to offer HSAs to its workers. This was the president's first major speech … [Read more...] about Targeting Health Care

The big news of the week was the release of the administration's budget for 2007. President Bush gives Congress detailed plans for federal spending priorities, and Congress uses this as its starting point to develop legislation, hold committee hearings, and eventually send bills to the floor of the House and the Senate to spend about $2.8 trillion of our money. (This is an astonishing 11 times … [Read more...] about Over to Congress

The debate is engaged. President Bush, as anticipated, has offered a number of new health policy initiatives designed around four goals: affordability, portability, transparency, and efficiency. Health Savings Accounts are the centerpiece of his agenda, with supercharged tax breaks to encourage people to sign up. Some highlights: Premiums for HSA-compatible insurance would be tax deductible if … [Read more...] about Supercharged Incentives

The good news is back: HSA enrollment has tripled in the last 10 months, according to a study released yesterday by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). "At least three million consumers currently receive health coverage through high-deductible health insurance plans offered in conjunction with health savings accounts," AHIP announced after surveying its member companies. The last survey … [Read more...] about What's Working

The avalanche of bad news on the health front over the last week is a bit overwhelming: The Wal-Mart bill: The Maryland legislature enacted the "Wal-Mart" law, over Gov. Bob Ehrlich's veto, triggering a major new round of health reform battles in the states. The law creates a new state mandate that requires big employers to provide health insurance for their workers, and it says companies must … [Read more...] about Under an Avalanche

The White House clearly will be focusing on health care as a top-tier domestic policy issue in 2006. President Bush's economic adviser, Allan Hubbard, previewed for reporters this week some of the initiatives the president will unveil in his State of the Union address on January 31. Health Savings Accounts will continue to be a top priority, likely allowing larger tax-free deposits and expanding … [Read more...] about 2006 Agenda

The AARP started the New Year with a big surprise, issuing a study that concluded the new Medicare drug benefit provides a better deal for most seniors than importing drugs from Canada, which the organization has long supported. "How is this possible? Everybody knows that Canadian drug prices are usually far lower than American ones," the AARP Bulletin asks. "That remains true. But Medicare drug … [Read more...] about High on the Drug Benefit