HSA News Highlights

• Ramussen Reports on May 19 with Kevin McKechnie
  Kevin McKechnie, executive director of ABA's HSA Council says, “We think, from our perspective, we’re looking at consumer driven health care, health savings accounts in particular, we think that’s going to be the answer. We were happy that the administration agreed with us and changed some of their rules so we could be that answer for people that were looking for affordable care.” **This video is broken into four segments. To view Kevin’s interview, please select the third clip beneath the larger video. Watch the interview.
  
  
• IRS Releases 2014 HSA Indexed Amounts:
  Maximum Contribution is $3,300 (individual) and $6,550 (family), Minimum Deductible is $1,250 (individual) and $2,500 (family), Maximum Out-of-Pocket is $6,350 (individual) and $12,700 (family).
  
  
• HSA Council Member UMB's Dennis Triplett Interview on The Street
  Dennis Triplett, a Board member of the HSA Council, gives an excellent interview on The Street about HSAs. Released April 2013. Watch the video.
  
  
• Roy Ramthun's Article "Bending the Pentagon's Medical Cost Curve"
  In his article, long-time HSA Council consultant Roy Ramthun outlines how the military health care system Tricare could benefit from offering HSA-qualified plans.  Read the article.
  
  
• Roy Ramthun's Article "Health Savings Accounts on the Obamacare Exchanges: Early Warning Signs for HSAs - and the Exchanges"
  HSA Council consultant Roy Ramthun warns that while HSAs are needed as an affordable option on the Exchanges, the premiums of proposed HSA-qualified plans in State Exchanges, like Vermont's, are more expensive than non-HSA plans. Read the article.
  
  
• Todd Berkley's Article "Health Savings Accounts: Affordable Alternative to ObamaCare"
  HSA Council consultant Todd Berkley authored this compelling article on the important role HSAs will play in healthcare reform. Read the article.
  
  
• HSA Council Member Wells Fargo Announces Record Results for HSA Business
  Released March 2013, Wells Fargo reports that its HSA program assets increased by 31 percent, totaling over $809 million by the end of 2012.  In the same time period, the number of accounts also surged to a record 365,000. Learn more from Wells Fargo.
  
  
• Dr. Ben Carson Touts HSAs as ACA Alternative at National Prayer Breakfast
  During the National Prayer Breakfast on February 7, 2013, John Hopkins neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson outlined his suggestions on healthcare reform, which do not include President Obama's Affordable Care Act. Dr. Carson stated that in order to reduce healthcare spending and improve efficiency, "When a person is born, give them a birth certificate, an electronic medical record and a health savings account [HSA] to which money can be contributed pre-tax from the time you’re born to the time you die.”  Watch a video of his speech.
  
  
• HSA Council in the News
  The HSA Council's Executive Director, Kevin McKechnie, has been featured on radio and television shows, where he educates the public and media on the many benefits of HSAs and the recent positive developments on MLR and AV regulations’ impact on HSA-qualified plans.  Follow the links below to listen or watch to his interviews.
  January 22, 2013 on "The Armstrong Williams Radio Show"
  January 17, 2013 on "The Inga Barks Show"
  January 17, 2013 on America's Radio News Network with hosts Chris Salcedo and Lori Lundin
  January 3, 2013 on "The Armstrong Williams Radio Show"
  December 28, 2012 on FOX and Friends
  December 27, 2012 on Fox Business' Varney & Co. 
  
    
• 2013 HSA indexed amounts: Maximum Contribution is $3,250 (individual) and $6,450 (family), Minimum Deductible is $1,250 (individual) and $2,500 (family), Maximum Out-of-Pocket is $6,250 (individual) and $12,500 (family).