Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Greg Scandlen reviews a new book on HSAs
[Greg Scandlen, "Next Gen Healthcare," The New York Post, 17 October 2004.]
Greg Scandlen of The Galen Institute, who recently joined us here in Wichita and Kansas City to provide an overview of health savings accounts, writes in this column about the pros and cons of a new book on the subject: The Small Business Guide to HSAs.
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are the first step in a profound and dramatic transformation of the Ameri can health-care system.
JoAnn Mills Laing's new book is the first of many that are sure to come along to herald this new era. "The Small Business Guide to HSAs" lives up to its name. It provides an excellent explanation of how HSAs work as well as their potential for small businesses.
Unfortunately, it does a very poor job of explaining the insurance portion of the package. This is due, in part, to the evolving guidance from the IRS, mostly around defining what HDHPs are. But it is also because many of the people Laing consulted are in the financial services industry, not insurance; they lack a clear understanding of how health insurance works.
Laing doesn't understand, for instance, that federal law requires "guaranteed issue" of coverage for all employers with two or more employees, and she gets the requirements for family deductibles wrong.
Elsewhere, the insurance explanations are poorly expressed or confusing. This contrasts sharply with the majority of the book which deals with the savings accounts themselves. Here her writing is clear and fluid.
The support services available for the financial side of HSAs are well explained, but, again, Laing seems unaware of the real sizzle of these programs: the increasingly sophisticated support for consumers' health-care needs. Many HSA vendors have done fabulous work developing patient support in the form of "personal health coaches," online price and quality comparisons, information about treatment alternatives and disease support groups. Insurance brokers tell me that these services are what really sell HSAs.
Still, for the first HSA guide out there, it presents a lot of useful information.
[Greg Scandlen, "Choice is revolutionizing health care," The Wichita Eagle, 28 September 2004.
Matthew Hisrich, "HSAs are increasing Americans' health coverage," The Topeka Capital-Journal, 26 September 2004.]
[Greg Scandlen, "Next Gen Healthcare," The New York Post, 17 October 2004.]
Greg Scandlen of The Galen Institute, who recently joined us here in Wichita and Kansas City to provide an overview of health savings accounts, writes in this column about the pros and cons of a new book on the subject: The Small Business Guide to HSAs.
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are the first step in a profound and dramatic transformation of the Ameri can health-care system.
JoAnn Mills Laing's new book is the first of many that are sure to come along to herald this new era. "The Small Business Guide to HSAs" lives up to its name. It provides an excellent explanation of how HSAs work as well as their potential for small businesses.
Unfortunately, it does a very poor job of explaining the insurance portion of the package. This is due, in part, to the evolving guidance from the IRS, mostly around defining what HDHPs are. But it is also because many of the people Laing consulted are in the financial services industry, not insurance; they lack a clear understanding of how health insurance works.
Laing doesn't understand, for instance, that federal law requires "guaranteed issue" of coverage for all employers with two or more employees, and she gets the requirements for family deductibles wrong.
Elsewhere, the insurance explanations are poorly expressed or confusing. This contrasts sharply with the majority of the book which deals with the savings accounts themselves. Here her writing is clear and fluid.
The support services available for the financial side of HSAs are well explained, but, again, Laing seems unaware of the real sizzle of these programs: the increasingly sophisticated support for consumers' health-care needs. Many HSA vendors have done fabulous work developing patient support in the form of "personal health coaches," online price and quality comparisons, information about treatment alternatives and disease support groups. Insurance brokers tell me that these services are what really sell HSAs.
Still, for the first HSA guide out there, it presents a lot of useful information.
[Greg Scandlen, "Choice is revolutionizing health care," The Wichita Eagle, 28 September 2004.
Matthew Hisrich, "HSAs are increasing Americans' health coverage," The Topeka Capital-Journal, 26 September 2004.]
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