I was reading the AIS Health Daily Bulletin earlier this morning and gnashing my teeth a bit.  In part because I would have rather been doing anything but reading any bulletin and in part because of what I was reading.

The good news is that CDHPs are projected to continue growing, especially those tied to HSAs (we like that).  What kind of chafed my goodies was a comment  by James G. Knight, M.D., CEO of Consumer Directed Health Care, Inc., that made me wonder if my HDHPmight be turning into an HPHDHP (that would be my own new acronym that stands for high premium high deductible health plan).  Specifically he said,

” …..I would expect little additional market penetration unless health plans begin to see the light and price these products in ways that reflect the reduced insured payout inherent to this kind of coverage. In that case, there could be a big increase. Unfortunately, I have only heard of large increases in HSA premiums, not reductions.

If insurance companies wonder why so many people in the U.S. want the government to regulate them out of business, actions like these (and others) are what have congress pissing napalm on the fire of the health care debate.

You gotta wonder; especially if you are living a healthy life, being responsible about your insurance, saving money to pay for yours and your family’s health care, and paying your taxes what the insurance companies are thinking.

Open enrollment is just around the corner.   I don’t think the, the current debate will result in the total destruction of Consumer Driven Health, but if closed and irrational minds prevail, it could be neutered to some degree (is partial neutering possible I wonder?).   On the other hand, if Consumer Driven Health Plans are given the opportunity to work harder for Americans their ultimate benefit would be healthier  and more savvy citizenry, greater competition, and ultimately lower costs.

Now what’s not to like about that?  It’s about as American baseball and a backyard barbeque.