[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 186 (Tuesday, December 6, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H8145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1220
                THE BENEFITS OF HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, health savings accounts have been shown to 
lower health care costs and allow Americans to have more control over 
their money and their health care decisions.
  Recently the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 14 percent of 
all workers in the private sector now have access to a health savings 
account. The number of people with HSA-type accounts rose to over 11\1/
2\ million in January, up from 10 million a year before and 8 million 
the year before that.
  But, Mr. Speaker, health savings accounts are at risk. Under the 
Affordable Care Act passed in this House of March of 2010, by 2014 
there will be a phase-in of what's known as the medical loss ratio 
rules that may eliminate the ability of HSAs to continue to exist. It's 
all in the hands of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, who, in 
the past, has not been favorably disposed to HSAs.
  Now, Governor Mitch Daniels understands the power of consumer-
directed health care. Governor Daniels, when he came and talked to our 
Health Caucus a little over a year ago, talked about his Healthy 
Indiana plan, a plan that in his State has allowed him to provide for 
his State workers health care benefits that receive a positive approval 
rating by 94 percent of his workers and, at the same time, lowering 
costs by 11 percent.
  This is the type of innovation that the Affordable Care Act should 
have fostered. Instead, it stands in the way of this groundbreaking way 
to deliver health care to our Nation's folks.

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