Why isn't proliferation of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) making the medical marketplace more transparent? Answer: Because HSAs piggyback on the current payment system rather than mount a challenge to it. Long before you (with HSA in hand) get to the doctor's office, your insurer and your doctor have already agreed on what services will be covered, what will not be covered and how much will be paid. By the time you get there, there is nothing left to negotiate. See my analysis at HSAs Explained. What follows is a discussion of this issue, edited by yours truly.

Tax law favors employer-provided group insurance and discriminates against individually purchased insurance. Should that inequity be corrected? What follows is a blogosphere debate, edited by yours truly.