Health savings accounts have mixed effects on healthcare spending, use
Health Payer Intelligence April 15, 2024
Among health savings account members, healthcare spending was higher for inpatient services but lower for emergency department visits than PPO members.
Health savings account (HSA) plan enrollment did not impact overall healthcare spending but reduced the use of outpatient services, according to data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).
The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) introduced high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and created HSAs. Since the MMA, employers have generally offered HDHPs in conjunction with HSAs—commonly referred to as HSA-eligible health plans or HSA plans—or raised deductibles in other plans like preferred provider organizations (PPOs).
As PPO deductibles grow closer to HSA plan deductibles, stakeholders have questioned how big of a factor deductibles are when...