Congress has Rx for Health Care's Sickly Status Quo

Despite the problems that plague American health care, innovative ideas exist to cure what ails it. But many transformative approaches are languishing in obscurity compared to insurance-based, big-government alternatives. One idea, reforming Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), is a powerful antidote to the sickly status quo. And Senator Ted Cruz’s Personalized Care Act (S. 3112) would implement this much-needed solution. S. 3112 — which has a companion bill in the House, Congressman Chip Roy’s HR 5596 — would lift unnecessary HSA restrictions, let Americans spend HSA dollars how they see fit, liberate employers, and unleash Direct Primary Care.

Created in 2003, HSAs are already powerful tools that empower patients. Individually owned, these plans allow patients to place pre-tax dollars into an account and use the funds for certain medical expenses. Frequently confused with the much less advantageous Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), HSAs are the ultimate tax-advantaged savings modality. That’s because they are not taxed on contribution, growth or use for an “Eligible Medical Expense.”