June 20, 2011
The Honorable Mark Steven Kirk
United States Senate
524 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-1305
Re: Urge Your Representatives and Senators to Cosponsor S. 1098 and H.R. 2010!!
Dear Senator Kirk:
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) have proven to be popular with individuals and employers – increasing enrollment by 14% this year and 87% since January 2008. New legislation, S. 1098 and House companion bill, H.R. 2010, will strengthen HSAs making them more attractive to American consumers. As a constituent and a professional benefit specialist, I am urging you to cosponsor S. 1098.
This legislation eliminates many obstacles HSA consumers have struggled with for years. It also repeals requirements in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that hurt individuals and families who purchase consumer-directed health care products, such as the limitation on small business owners purchasing high deductible plans after 2014.
As a professional benefit specialist I provide individuals and employers with affordable health insurance options, and so since the inception of HSA and FSA accounts, I have helped my clients establish HSA and FSA accounts and purchase other health insurance products. Over the years, my clients have regularly reported to me that a few simple changes could smooth out some of the bumps in the road experienced by individuals and employer HSA consumers.
S. 1098, the Family and Retirement Health Investment Act of 2011 removes many of these obstacles by allowing spouses to make catch-up contributions to the same HSA, eliminating discriminatory provisions against Medicare-eligible seniors so that they can continue to contribute to their HSAs, expanding the ability of individuals to purchase medical and long-term care insurance with HSA and FSA dollars, and clarifying that prescription drugs used for preventive care purposes are not subject to HSA deductible requirements.
Another key provision contained in S. 1098 is the repeal of the
prohibition PPACA places on small businesses who wish to purchase health plans that have a deductible in excess of $2,000 (individual)/$4,000 (family) beginning in 2014. I can tell you first hand that employers of all sizes are struggling to provide affordable health insurance options to their employees and the PPACA deductible limitation as it stands is not only discriminatory against small business owners, but it also deprives employers and employees of choices in health plan options and will eliminate the ability of many employers to select health plans that best meet their budgetary needs.
S. 1098 also includes a provision that will allow FSA funds to be rolled over from year-to-year, to promote more responsible spending and allow individuals more choice in how they may use their FSA dollars, as well as the elimination of the PPACA requirement that prevents individuals from using their account-based plans like FSAs and HSAs to pay for over-the-counter prescription drugs.
Furthermore, I feel that the reauthorization of Medicaid health
opportunity accounts and the expansion of the definition of qualified
medical expenses to encourage wellness activities are critical in
encouraging the reduction of health care costs by promoting greater
personal responsibility.
As a professionally licensed health insurance benefits specialist I
represent American consumers of health care and insurance products and serving their needs to the best of my ability is my primary interest.
Please strongly consider cosponsoring S. 1098. I look forward to hearing back from you on this important issue.
Sincerely,
John Rippinger
847-605-1522
