Scott Atlas Discusses How Health Savings Accounts (HSA) Push Health Care Prices Down
Published: July 30, 2019
Health Saving Accounts (HSAs) are an effective and proven method of reducing healthcare prices for everyone, not just those with HSAs. When patients are motivated to compare prices, prices for everyone decline significantly. While HSAs are effective in making health care more affordable, they should be expanded and allowed with any healthcare plan.
Additional Resources
- Read “Clearing Up Misconceptions About Health Savings Accounts,” by Scott Atlas here.
- Watch the Joint Economic Committee meeting with Scott Atlas, “The Potential for Health Savings Accounts to Engage Patients and Bend the Health Care Cost Curve.” Available here.
- For much more detail on Scott Atlas’ health care plan, read his book Restoring Quality Health Care: A Six-Point Plan for Comprehensive Reform at Lower Cost, available here.
- Read Scott Atlas’ chapter “Transformational Health Care Reform” in Blueprint for America here.
How are HSAs good for Americans?
#1 - Health care prices go down
HSAs with high deductible coverage have proven to reduce health care prices.
#2 - People spend less because it’s coming out of their own pockets
Spending reductions average 15% per year and increase with the level of deductible and when paired with HSAs.
#3 - People save more in the long run
Adding HSAs to high deductible plans correlates to 50% to double the savings of high deductible plans alone.
How do HSAs accomplish this?
Downward pressure on healthcare prices from doctors competing for patients who pay directly for care
has been demonstrated by procedures originally not covered by insurance, like Lasik, corrective eye surgery or MR and CT screening.
Data from MRI and outpatient surgery (covered care) confirms that when patients are motivated to compare prices, prices come down significantly.
And this reduces prices for all health care consumers, not just HSA holders.
The issue is not whether HSAs are affective in how to make health care more affordable.
It’s how to maximize their adoption and fully leverage them.