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STUDIES
 Medical Savings Accounts Study First, it is important to note that the organizations studied use the MSA concept in various ways; only two organizations use the MSA concept in the same way. The Valley Surgical Group located in Phoenix and The Golden Rule Insurance Company in Indianapolis provide health benefits for their employees under nearly identical MSA programs. As will be noted shortly, the Valley Surgical Group insures its employees under a Golden Rule small group MSA plan. This explains the similarities in their MSA program operation and benefits. Unless otherwise specified in the following descriptions, the MSA component of these plans is funded with money included in gross income for federal income tax purposes, commonly called post tax or after tax dollars. The employers selected for this evaluation are:
The first five employer provided health plans are more characteristic of a complete MSA model. The last three, though lacking features common to MSA models, reflect innovative approaches to influencing demand and managing health benefits. The following presents an overview of each plan:
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1 Part Honesty; 2 Parts Arrogance At a March 23, 2005, House Appropriations hearing on a bill to gut the voter-approved I-601 spending limit, Rep. Jim McIntire (D) asked a supporter of I-601’s two-third supermajority requirement for the legislature to raise taxes the following question: "Can you name a time when we [legislators] have actually not just set it [supermajority requirement] aside by majority vote? I mean, this is in many respects a procedural motion that has no bearing. It’s a statutory constraint that cannot constrain any legislature that chooses as a majority to set it aside . . . have we ever used a supermajority [to raise taxes]?" - Rep. Jim McIntire (D - 46) Despite the arrogance of some state officials, Washington's constitution is clear: "All political power is inherent in the people..." |
