Excerpt: Proponents of health savings accounts (HSAs) believe they can reduce medical spending by making consumers more sensitive to the costs of care. [HSAs] together with high-deductible health plans should encourage consumers to make prudent treatment decisions because they are spending their own money. However, a new Commonwealth Fund–supported study finds that because of the tax subsidies accountholders receive, HSAs may actually lower effective out-of-pocket costs for some enrollees.

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