Article at a glance:

Health savings accounts: Making patients better consumers

US health insurance costs, fueled by a system that lacks transparency and accountability, are rising fast. Health savings accounts may be one way to slow the increase. These pretax savings accounts give consumers a stake in reducing their medical expenses and let them save for future ones.

The take-away

Health insurers and medical-care providers should prepare for a rise in the popularity of health savings accounts by adopting new strategies that can stand up to competition and scrutiny.