New Research Highlights Need for More Education About HSAs

In recent years, high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) — now common in both employer-sponsored and individual markets — have faced increasing scrutiny as evidence emerges that they may not actually cause people to be savvier health care consumers. Now, a new study adds another layer to the debate by finding that access to and uptake of health savings accounts (HSAs) is low among people enrolled in HDHPs. Experts have varied opinions on the study’s implications, but they agree that the findings underscore the need for better consumer education about the benefits of HSAs.

The study, published on July 17 by JAMA Network Open, details findings from a 2016 survey of a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults ages 18 to 64 who were enrolled in an HDHP for at least 12 months. Researchers reported that 32% of HDHP enrollees did not have an HSA, and 55% of HDHP enrollees who did have an HSA had not contributed any pretax funds to their account in the past 12 months.

0 Comments
© 2025 MMIT
Leslie Small

Leslie Small

Leslie has been working in journalism since 2009 and reporting on the health care industry since 2014. She has covered the many ups and downs of the Affordable Care Act exchanges, the failed health insurer mega-mergers, and hundreds of other storylines spanning subjects such as Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage, employer-sponsored insurance, and prescription drug coverage. As the managing editor of Health Plan Weekly and Radar on Drug Benefits, she writes and edits for both publications while overseeing a small team of reporters who also focus on the managed care sector. Before joining AIS Health, she was a senior editor for the e-newsletter Fierce Health Payer, and she started her career as a copy editor at multiple local newspapers. She graduated with a dual degree in journalism and political science from Penn State University.

Related Posts

supreme-court
October 4

Will Supreme Court Review Preventive Services Coverage Case?

READ MORE
medicare-advantage-sign
October 4

MA Star Ratings Drama: Humana Gets Bad News, UnitedHealth Sues CMS

READ MORE
wall-street-sign
October 4

Unsurprising or Unlikely? Analysts React to Prospect of CVS Breakup

READ MORE

GAIN THERAPEUTIC AREA-SPECIFIC INTEL TO DRIVE ACCESS FOR YOUR BRAND

Sign up for publications to get unmatched business intelligence delivered to your inbox.

subscribe today