Millions of Highmark members can now access valuable health and wellness information through the free Highmark Health@Hand iPhone^® application.

The Health@Hand iPhone app gives members access to health and wellness features at their fingertips. Since the iPhone is equipped to know exactly where someone is, Highmark members can quickly find nearby participating Highmark medical facilities and health care providers such as hospitals, urgent care facilities, retail clinics and pharmacies. The app also provides interactive health information that allows members to look up information about illnesses, symptoms and medical conditions. A health and wellness section of the app offers health coaching tips and information about health and wellness programs available to Highmark members.

“Mobile phone applications open up an entirely new channel for interaction with our members. It makes health care and wellness information more portable and accessible,” said Matthew Childs, Highmark Web Strategy and Development vice president. “We chose to focus our app on health and wellness because Highmark has a long-standing commitment to helping our members ‘have a greater hand in their health.’”

The Highmark Health@Hand iPhone application is available to Highmark members. Members should log in to their specific Highmark member website, visit the “Choose Providers” tab, obtain the registration code and then link to Apple iTunes to download the application. The app will also be available directly in the Apple iTunes library, but will ask that users go to the Highmark website to receive the registration code.

Highmark partnered with A.D.A.M., an online information and technology vendor, to create the application. Highmark chose to make its health care feature available on the iPhone because it is one of the fast-growing mobile devices.

Access to a growing number of health and wellness discounts are also available through the Highmark Health@Hand iPhone app as well as on Highmark’s member websites. Last month, Highmark launched additional member discounts for a variety of national travel, nutrition, fitness, vision, hearing and complementary programs and services from companies such as Reebok, Jenny Craig, LasikPlus, Fairmont, Westin and more.

Highmark members can access the member discounts by logging into their specific Highmark member website and visiting the “Choose Providers” tab.

“We recognize that achieving good health isn’t all about health care. It’s about taking care of yourself as well,” said Childs. “These national discount partners give our members discounts of up to 50 percent on products and services that can keep them healthy and well.”

About Highmark
As one of the leading health insurers in Pennsylvania, Highmark Inc.’s mission is to provide access to affordable, quality health care enabling individuals to live longer, healthier lives. Based in Pittsburgh, Highmark serves 4.7 million people through the company’s health care benefits business. Highmark contributes millions of dollars to help keep quality health care programs affordable and to support community-based programs that work to improve people’s health. Highmark exerts an enormous economic impact throughout Pennsylvania. A recent study states that Highmark’s positive impact exceeded $2.5 billion. The company provides the resources to give its members a greater hand in their health.

MAXIMUS (NYSE:MMS), a leading provider of government services worldwide, announced today that the Company and the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will co-present a case study on engaging public health insurance program participants using social media at the upcoming Medicaid Managed Care Congress.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has been working with MAXIMUS, the Medicaid managed care enrollment counselor for the South Carolina Healthy Connections Choices program, on a demonstration project to examine the usefulness of social media technologies for outreach to low-income populations. The demonstration project, in partnership with the MAXIMUS Center for Health Literacy, has been successful in providing health and enrollment information to consumers and program stakeholders who are actively engaged in social media networks.

Jeff Stensland, Director of Communications for the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and Sunaina Menawat, Manager of Business Development for MAXIMUS Health Services, will present their case study entitled “Utilize Social Media for Greater Member Engagement, Communication and a Broader Reach.” Stensland and Menawat will present the demonstration project from its inception, the methodology and the social media tools used, and preliminary results. They will also discuss social media in the broader context of engagement and communication.

“One of the things I like about the demonstration project is that it tests the notion that lower-income people are somehow disconnected from the changes occurring in mass media. The project’s use of social media allowed us to interact with our members in new ways,” Stensland commented. “Members saw that we established a presence on the social media sites they regularly frequent, offering them a new way to get information, offer instant feedback and even ask questions. We look forward to sharing the insight garnered from the project with the Medicaid Managed Care community.”

“We are continuously looking for new ways to bring added value to our clients by improving outreach and education efforts to program participants,” commented Bruce Caswell, President and General Manager of MAXIMUS Health Services. “Until now, social media was often seen as an unconventional channel for communicating with participants of public health insurance programs, but this demonstration project shows that social media can be effectively used to reach program participants and help them make informed choices for improved long-term health outcomes.”

The Medicaid Managed Care Congress will take place May 17-19, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore, Maryland. The Congress brings together State and Federal Medicaid Officials, Medicaid Managed Care Executives and National Policy Experts in a collaborative environment to create efficiencies while improving access to high quality care.

About MAXIMUS

MAXIMUS is a leading provider of government services worldwide and is devoted to providing health and human services program management and consulting services to its clients. The Company has more than 6,500 employees located in more than 220 offices in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Israel. Additionally, MAXIMUS is included in the Russell 2000 Index and the S&P SmallCap 600 Index.

Source
Healthy Connections Choices

HealthPartners, the nation’s largest consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization, today announced plans to launch a new online convenience care service this fall.

The service, to be named Virtuwell, will provide online diagnosis and treatment of common medical conditions. The custom-designed service will combine proven, trusted medical expertise with the convenience of 24/7 online access to care including prescriptions if needed.

“Virtuwell is all about bringing more choices, affordable and easy-to-use options and high-quality health care,” said Mary Brainerd, president and CEO. “As we’ve watched the popularity of our online care options grow in recent years, we’ve continued to develop new ways to help patients get the right care at the right time at the lowest-possible cost. We’re excited about Virtuwell and what users will experience — a convenient, friendly and easy-to-use way to get better.”

With Virtuwell, medical professionals will be available online — on demand and around the clock — to provide personalized diagnoses, treatment recommendations, and prescriptions for routine medical conditions such as cold, cough and allergy, ear pain, yeast and urinary tract infection, and others. Users will receive a rapid diagnosis and treatment plan at a lower cost than visiting a clinic.

HealthPartners expects to begin offering Virtuwell services this fall, at which time further details will be announced.

About HealthPartners
Founded in 1957, the $3 billion HealthPartners family of health care companies serves 1.25 million members and provides care to over 500,000 patients in our HealthPartners care delivery system which includes 70 clinics and three hospitals. It is the largest consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the nation, providing care, coverage, research and education to improve the health of members, patients and the community. HealthPartners is among the top 25 commercial health plans in the nation and is the top-ranked plan in Minnesota according to U.S. News & World Report/NCQA “America’s Best Health Insurance Plans 2009-10.”

Finding a dentist has never been easier, thanks to Assurant Employee Benefits’ new smartphone application Assurant Benefit Tools. The application, now available for iPhone® and Android™ and launching soon for BlackBerry®, consists of Find-a-Dentist, which uses GoogleMaps technology to connect smartphone users with dentists in proximity to their location. According to the company,  Assurant Employee Benefits is currently the only insurance benefits carrier offering smartphone technology in this way.

The Find-a-Dentist application is an extension of a similar online tool available to Assurant Employee Benefits customers. As programmers began to develop smartphone applications outside of work, Todd Rever, vice president, professional services, saw the opportunity to leverage emerging technology on the job to benefit consumers. A team was put together to think through the best use of smartphone technology, and the new application was born.

“We always look for ways to keep our products and communications relevant to our customers and sales force, and the way they use technology is always changing,” says Rever. “It’s very gratifying to be able to provide an industry-first tool that will help Assurant Employee Benefits connect in a new and meaningful way.”

The new application also provides updates on company news and Twitter feeds. Additional tools and enhancements will continue to be rolled out under Assurant Benefit Tools. The application is a free download available to all smartphone users.

About Assurant Employee Benefits

Assurant Employee Benefits specializes in quality employee benefits and services, including long-term and short-term disability, life insurance, voluntary benefits such as cancer, critical illness and accident, dental coverage, and disability reinsurance management services. Assurant Employee Benefits is the brand name for insurance products underwritten by Union Security Insurance Company and for prepaid dental products provided by an affiliated prepaid dental company. In New York, insurance products are underwritten and prepaid products are provided by Union Security Life Insurance Company of New York, which is licensed in New York and has its principal place of business in Syracuse, New York. Plans contain limitations, exclusions and restrictions. www.assurantemployeebenefits.com

Assurant Employee Benefits is a part of Assurant, a premier provider of specialized insurance products and related services in North America and select worldwide markets. Its four key businesses — Assurant Solutions, Assurant Specialty Property, Assurant Health, and Assurant Employee Benefits — partner with clients who are leaders in their industries and have built leadership positions in a number of specialty insurance market segments worldwide.

Assurant, a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AIZ. www.assurant.com

SOURCE Assurant Employee Benefits

More consumers than ever before are seeking additional knowledge to make more informed decisions, especially when it comes to their health care.

To help members lower their out-of-pocket costs and enhance the quality of their care through informed decision-making, HealthAmerica has partnered with National Imaging Associates (NIA) to provide an innovative consumer engagement program for diagnostic imaging services.

“By educating our members on their benefits and providing information on advanced medical imaging procedures, we enable them to take an active role in their health care,” said David P. Crosby, president of HealthAmerica.

This carries added significance in the field of diagnostic imaging, especially given concerns about radiation safety, clinically inappropriate examinations, and rising health care costs. HealthAmerica and NIA representatives pointed to multiple independent studies that found as many as one-third of all advanced imaging services are either clinically inappropriate or do not contribute to a physician’s diagnosis or the ultimate health outcomes for the patient.

“When consumers are engaged in the imaging process, they make more informed decisions about their care, and this improves outcomes, affordability, and consumer satisfaction,” said Tina Blasi, CEO of NIA, a Magellan Health Services company (Nasdaq: MGLN). “Our commitment to transparency, education, patient safety, and patient choice is at the very heart of our company’s philosophy.”

The services from HealthAmerica and NIA include a Facility Selection Support program that assists members with the selection of a quality imaging facility for their examinations, based on such convenience factors as location, proximity to public transportation, and the availability of evening and weekend appointments. NIA also can assist in identifying if there are any cost differences for the individual member and can provide patients with support in scheduling the image exams, as needed.

“Like most businesses, our employees pay an increasing share of their health care costs,” said Greg Drake, senior manager of Facilities and Purchasing for Isaac’s Deli Inc. “It’s important that we provide them with tools they can use to make sure they are using their health care benefits wisely. HealthAmerica’s imaging program provides a greater level of transparency on radiology services for my employees who are eager to get more involved in health care decisions.”

Additional NIA tools to support consumer engagement will be provided to HealthAmerica members later this year. This includes the launch of NIA’s new online consumer portal, which guides members through the imaging decision process, explain radiation safety considerations, and offer expanded information on imaging facility options. These resources, featuring age-specific content for adults and children, are designed to help members better understand their imaging procedures, engage in dialogue and shared decision-making with their physicians, and make knowledgeable decisions about their health care.

“Quality, cost, and convenience are becoming increasingly important to our patients,” said Paul DeLoia Jr., chief executive officer of Tristán Associates. “HealthAmerica’s radiology benefit management program supports our providing high quality imaging services with maximum safety and convenience to our patients. In addition, the program helps provide our patients with greater visibility on their out-of-pocket expenditures when visiting one of our sites.”

As Blasi said, it comes down to supporting the consumers in safeguarding the quality and cost of their health care.

“Consumers who become engaged in the health care process are active participants in ensuring that they receive the right medical scan, in the right place, at the right time,” Blasi said. “This is the right thing to do for those we serve, and it is bringing a new level of empowerment and transparency to the health care experience.”

About HealthAmerica

Listed among the country’s top 20 health plans in the U.S.News/NCQA America’s Best Health Insurance Plans 2009-10 list, HealthAmerica has been offering health benefits in Pennsylvania for over 34 years. The company provides a range of health insurance products, including consumer-directed, self-funded, Medicare, Medicaid, indemnity, nongroup, and pharmacy plans. It currently has “Excellent” accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance for its commercial HMO, POS, and Medicare plans. It has corporate offices in Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit HealthAmerica’s website at www.healthamerica.cvty.com.

About NIA

Headquartered in Avon, Conn., NIA (National Imaging Associates) leads the radiology benefits management industry by delivering innovative solutions to effectively manage the cost and quality of diagnostic imaging. NIA is a subsidiary of Magellan Health Services, Inc. (Nasdaq:MGLN), a leading specialty health care management organization. For more information about NIA, visit www.NIAhealthcare.com.

I wrote recently about an innovative suite of health plans being offered by UnitedHealthcare that feature unique services to enhance the health and well-being of Spanish-speaking individuals. PlanBien incorporates linguistically and culturally relevant health information and customer service programs into its plan designs at no extra charge, ensuring the coverage is tailored to meet the unique health care needs of Latinos.

At the time I wrote that post I noted that I thought that tailoring a health plan to a specific demographic was an interesting concept, and I wondered how this might be applied to other groups. An article written by Steve Davis, managing editor of Health Plan Week, may have provided an answer to this question.

In the October 9, edition of Health Plan Week, Mr. Davis writes about a startup health insurer that is aiming to incentivize behavior change for both healthy and chronically ill members.

According to Mr. Davis, SeeChange Health plans to begin marketing its products to small employers in Fresno, Calif., this fall. SeeChange Health uses a unique value-based benefit model that actually seeks out both the chronically ill and the �overlooked healthy (i.e., those at risk for developing a chronic condition) and offers them richer benefits in exchange for compliance in managing the condition.

Here’s how it works

Here is how it works. SeeChange�s six plan design options are built on a PPO platform and begin with relatively high deductibles. One plan, for example, has a $2,000 annual deductible for single coverage and covers 80% of eligible claims once the deductible is met.

Want to boost your level of coverage to say a $1,000 deductible and 90% coverage? Schedule an annual wellness visit with your doctor, submit to a blood test, and complete a health questionnaire.

Then if it turns out that you have (or at risk for developing) one of five chronic conditions, you will receive a treatment program. Comply with the program and you will not pay any out-of-pocket costs for eligible charges related to that condition.

The idea has to do with the fact that it is less expensive for the insurer to identify and treat health risks at the earliest possible stage. The example given in the article noted that annual claims costs for a person in the early stages of Type 2 diabetes tend to be less than $600, whereas claims at the next stage run $7,000 a year.

This plan design is being touted as �the next big thing� after consumer-driven health care. The idea is simple. Give people a program that helps them manage or improve their condition, and then reward them financially for following the program. In the meantime, costs are lowered and outcomes improved. This just might work.

A headline on Life and Health News this morning caught my eye. It read, “Who will Lead? It referred, of course, to the void left in the Senate by the death of Senator Ted Kennedy. The article pointed out that Kennedy’s death could affect the leadership of the Senate Banking Committee as well as of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and discussed the possible changes in the committee leadership roles.

But, this headline got me thinking. Who will lead the healthcare reform movement going forward? I nominate President Barack Obama. Not for his tendencies to respond to massive problems with even more massive spending programs, but because of his ability to inspire and lead people.

I am convinced that we will never solve the healthcare crisis in the U.S. until we can get our citizens to take some personal responsibility for their health status. With obesity rates in 31 states exceeding 25 percent, we are literally a country headed for a heart attack. There is no amount of spending that will be able to change this medical outcome.

What can change this outcome is to get people moving. Get people out of their cars and SUVs and onto bikes and sidewalks. Get people out of the fast food drive through at lunch time and into the gym.

And, who better to lead this charge than Obama. He is clearly the fittest president we have had in years. He is a role model for millions of Americans and he and his wife, Michelle, can lead by their words and their actions.

Kennedy made being fit cool.

During the 1960’s President John F. Kennedy made being fit cool. It is once again time to engage the entire country in a fitness challenge. Maybe this time instead of the touch football games in the yard, it will be three-on-three basketball in the driveway or the park. Who cares? Just move!

The country needs to be told the truth. “Listen, we are running out of money and cannot afford to take care of you when you make yourself sick by your over eating and lack of activity. So what we are going to do instead is help you get healthy and stay healthy.”

Now is the time to scrap the universal healthcare approaches of the past 40 years that focus only on providing coverage, and to look to a future of delivering health by encouraging personal responsibility for avoiding the avoidable. If we can do this, I think, the money will be there for everyone in this country who needs basic medical care and to provide treatment for all health issues that are not the predictable outcomes of lifestyle choices.

Barack Obama is the person who can do this. He is the person who should do this. Ted Kennedy passed the torch to him last summer in Denver. He is the future and he should use his position to shape policy that makes sense for the realities of today and the future.

Dear health savings account (HSA) owner:

As a health savings account owner, you know that HSAs work.� They are among the bright spots in today’s health care, reducing insurance costs, making coverage available to people who could not otherwise afford insurance, and allowing individuals to choose how they spend their health care dollars instead of the government or the insurance companies.

The current proposals for health care reform in Congress, if passed, will prevent you from having an HSA-qualified health plan ever again.

If you value your HSA, you should contact your representatives today to voice your concern over this threat to end one of the only health care reform ideas that actually work.

This is not a stand against� health reform.� In fact,� HSAs are part of the solution:

• 8 million Americans are covered by HSA plans, more than all SCHIP plans and more than the entire population of 39 separate states.
• 30% of HSA Owners say they would be uninsured without their HSA.
• Preventive care is free below the deductible in over 95% of group plans.
• HSA Owners represent average Americans in terms of age and income.
• 82% of HSA owners are satisfied with their HSA and only 4% would not recommend an HSA to a friend or family member
• President Obama continues to promise that if you like your plan you can keep it.

This is where you can help.� In short, health reform bills approved by key committees in the House and in the Senate could eliminate HSAs, if passed.� On the surface everything looks fine, but the fine print is where the problem lies:

������ Buzzword: Actuarial equivalence – this means your HSA health plan will not qualify to be sold in government mandated “exchanges,” because your HSA contributions and your employer’s HSA contribution will not count.

������ Buzzword: Minimum credible coverage – The government will decide what benefits have to be provided below the deductible for a health plan to be allowed to be sold on the “exchange.”� Since HSAs only allow preventive care to be provided under the deductible, any additional benefits that are added will disqualify all plans from HSA eligibility.

������ Buzzword: Health Commissioner – The draft bills give all the power over hundreds of items to a new Health Commissioner or HHS Secretary, assuring that bureaucrats will make all the significant decisions regarding your health care coverage.

If you like your HSA, now is the time to make your voice heard:

• Send an email directly to your elected representative and senators.

• Attend a local health care town hall meeting and voice your concerns about reform that would eliminate HSAs.

• Share your story of how HSAs are helping you stay healthy and get care when you are ill or have an accident.

Thank you in advance for being willing to contribute to the debate and help pass reform legislation that preserves health care choices and a healthy economy for all Americans.

Word is coming out of the Senate Finance Committee that consideration is being given to imposing an excise tax on health care benefits that exceed a specified threshold beginning in 2013. Although the threshold amount has not been finalized, reports suggest that the Committee may be considering $21,000 for family coverage. Reports also indicate that contributions to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs),� Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) would be included in determining whether the health benefits package exceeds the threshold. If employees receive benefits exceeding the overall threshold employers and/or insurers would pay a 35 percent excise tax on the amount in excess of the threshold.

In addition, reports indicate that the Senate Finance Committee is also considering imposing a $2,000 cap on contributions to FSAs beginning in 2013. This, coupled with a House plan to eliminate the use of HSAs and FSAs for over the counter drugs, is placing the burden of financing healthcare reform squarely on the shoulders of middle class workers.

Here are some fundamental problems with these ideas:

• FSAs, and more recently HSAs, have become important health care tools for both employers and their employees. They help Americans afford their out-of-pocket health care costs. Even under a reformed health care system, patients will still face out-of pocket expenses and we need these tools to help us afford these expenses.
• Placing additional caps on the contributions that may be made to these accounts will disproportionately harm patients with chronic illnesses who tend to face very high out of pocket costs.
• Further capping contributions to FSAs and HSAs is effectively a tax on health care and a tax on middle class Americans.
• Including FSAs and HSAs in the calculation of the excise tax threshold will cause employers to scale back or eliminate these plans (and potentially dental, vision, and other health benefits) to ensure they don’t exceed the overall cap on employee benefits and trigger the excise tax.
• Imposing an overall cap would be extremely complex and burdensome for employers. Employers would have to calculate the excise tax for each employee and their varying benefits and coverage levels and likely have to account for benefits provided to spouses and dependents under their employer’s plan.

Below is a list of Senate Finance Committee members and their contact information. If you value your FSA or HSA, this is the time to reach out to one or more of the committee members and let them know where you stand.

During this week’s healthcare Town Hall Meeting in Portsmouth, NH, President Obama said, “Where we do disagree, let’s disagree over things that are real, not these wild misrepresentations.”

After hearing some of the wild misrepresentations – even some of which that have come from political pros who should know better – I agree. Let’s keep the debate real.

So for starters, let’s talk about the promise that we keep hearing about keeping our current plan if we like it. President Obama has repeatedly told the American public, “If you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what.”

That sounds good. It is suppose it is to make us feel secure in the fact that we will not all be forced to join some public plan that would make us change doctors and wait in line for treatment. It just is not true.

Take for instance Health Saving Accounts. According to America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), there are at least 8 million people enrolled in these types of health plans which couple a lower premium with a higher deductible and a tax-advantaged Health Savings Account (HSA) that can be used to pay for a large number of health care needs.

These HSA plans are in jeopardy of going away under the health reform legislation that has come out of three House committees and one Senate panel that have drafted the �legislation as it stands today.

Why? Let’s look at Section 122 of HR 3200, the House version of the bill. This section is intended to set standards for all health plans guaranteeing that Americans will have access to essential benefits – as defined by the federal government.

One test of whether a plan meets the minimum benefits standards is something called Minimum Actuarial Value. Here is how this is defined in the bill:

Section 122 (3) MINIMUM ACTUARIAL VALUE-IN GENERAL- The cost-sharing under the essential benefits package shall be designed to provide a level of coverage that is designed to provide benefits that are actuarially equivalent to approximately 70 percent of the full actuarial value of the benefits provided under the reference benefits package described in subparagraph (B).

Depending upon the method used to calculate this 70 percent of the full actuarial value the benefits provided consumer-directed health plans as we know them today could go away. So much for keeping the plan that you have and that you like. Without overtly being singled out in the legislation, HSAs would effectively be rendered illegal under this bill because they would not meet the government’s definition of minimum benefits.

This is despite the fact that in a report dated May 2009, the American Academy of Actuaries, says that, with respect to consumer-directed health care plans:

“Generally, all of the studies indicated that cost savings did not result from avoidance of appropriate care and that necessary care was received in equal or greater degrees relative to traditional plans.� All of the studies reviewed reported a significant increase in preventive services for CDH [consumer directed healthcare] participants. Three of the studies found that CDH plan participants received recommended care for chronic conditions at the same or higher level than traditional (non-CDH) plan participants. Two studies reported a higher incidence of physicians following evidence-based care protocols.”

Does it make sense to effectively kill a health insurance approach that has proven its ability to reduce costs while placing increased emphasis on preventive care? I thought that these were major goals for the reform package. Eight million people are going to be very disappointed to learn that they were not told the truth by their President and their Congressional delegates.

But hold on, there is still some hope that Congress will correct this situation before a final bill is rendered for a vote. One of the final amendments to HR 3200 offered up during the House Education and Labor Committee mark-up of the bill may help you hang onto your HSA at least a little longer – IF you are part of a group plan.

Submitted by Rep. Petri (R- WI), and accepted by unanimous consent of the committee, was an amendment that placed at the end of subsection 102 of HR 3200 language to provide an exception to consumer-directed health plans and arrangements. In part the amendment says, “…in the case of a group health plan which consists of a consumer-directed health plan or arrangement (including a high deductible health plan within the meaning of section 223 (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), such group plan shall be treated as acceptable coverage under a current group health plan for purposes of this division.”

Section 102 of HR 3200 (in case you have lost track) is the part of the House bill that says it will protect your choice to keep your current coverage. It grandfathers existing group health plans for five years before they will have to comply with the government’s idea of what a health plan should consist. If you have an individual plan today, you will not be guaranteed that you can keep you current plan as the bill stands now.

The Petri amendment is a start to protecting consumer-directed health plans and HSAs, but even it has a long way to go to make it into the final bill. When Congress reconvenes in September the three House bills on healthcare reform will need to be merged to produce a final consolidated version that can be voted on by the entire House.

Meanwhile, two committees in the Senate have also taken up healthcare reform. The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), chaired by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), and the Senate Finance Committee chaired by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT).

Of these two committees, the Finance Committee is attempting to develop the most bi-partisan bill and has yet to present a final draft for mark-up.

The committee has reached out to many sectors for input on the legislation they are drafting. One group they consulted was the HSA Council which has proposed language to the committee that would allow for HSA-type plans to meet the actuarial minimal requirement that no doubt will be in the bill they are now writing.

In a memo to a committee staffer dated July 30, 2009, Kevin McKechnie, staff director of the HSA Council, acknowledged that “…considerable confusion can exist on how to establish the actuarial value of HSAs.” He suggested the following definition be adopted by the committee:

“In determining the actuarial value of an HSA qualified HDHP, this amount must recognize both the value of the HSA qualified contribution to the Health Savings Account from any source and the health insurance benefits.”

By making the contributions made to HSAs by employees and their employers count towards actuarial minimum requirement HSAs could continue to be a viable and useful plan option well into the future.

If you have an HSA and you want to keep it now is the time to act. Help President Obama and this Congress keep the promise they have been making to us. Contact a member of the Senate Finance Committee and ask them to endorse the adoption of the above language in their bill. While you’re at it let your representatives know that you would like to see similar language in the House version of the bill.

This certainly isn’t as much fun as showing up at a town hall meeting and telling your elected representative where you think he/she should spend their after-life. Nor, is it as entertaining as speculating about some eerie death panel that would convene to tell us when to pull the plug on grandma. For eight million Americans this is real, and now, according to the President, is the time to disagree about the things in healthcare reform legislation that are real.