Medicare Offers Savings Accounts for First Time

From Greg Scandlen, president of Consumers for Health Care Choice, an organization favoring consumer driven care fueled by HSAs, comes this November 15 message:


“With Open Enrollment starting yesterday (November 15) and going to December 31, Consumers for Health Care Choices has released a new paper alerting beneficiaries to a new option -- Medical Savings Accounts.”


“For the first time ever Medicare is making Medical Savings Accounts available to virtually all beneficiaries during the current open enrollment season. The program could be a huge boon for beneficiaries because it eliminates the need for MediGap coverage, provides a way of paying for non-Medicare covered services, limits out-of-pocket exposure, and offers the opportunity to save-up for future expenses. Beneficiaries should be sure to check it out.”

“This paper explains some of the advantages and lets readers know how to find information on the CMS web site.”

“Consumers for Health Care Choices is a national membership organization of citizens devoted to putting the consumer in the driver's seat of the health care system. It was organized two years ago and is growing quickly as more people realize the future of health care rests with empowered consumers. The Board Chair is Daniel (Stormy) Johnson, Jr., MD, a radiologist in Metairie, Louisiana, and former president of the American Medical Association.”

Comment: This message has enormous implications in that it might eliminate need for Medigap coverage, a huge source of revenue for the nation’s health plans. For more information, access or contact Website: http://www.chcchoices.org , Greg Scanlen, Consumers for Health Care Choices, greg@chcchoices.org, 301-606-7364