Charles Norwood: “Mr. Chairman, it is interesting to follow the previous speaker, because medical savings accounts hold the best promise…”

“Mr. Chairman, it is interesting to follow the previous speaker, because medical savings accounts hold the best promise for allowing Americans to break out of managed care entirely and take control of their own health care for the first time in many years. I do not have time to go into this a lot, but some of the most serious, real problems faced today by medical savings account companies is that a far higher mix of seriously ill patients are flocking into MSAs than other health plans, to the point that negative selection is currently hurting MSAs, not traditional insurance. The reason so many people with preexisting conditions are flocking to MSAs is that MSAs provide freedom, freedom to get the drug your doctor ordered, freedom to see your specialist without seeking permission from anyone or to have to file an appeal for an overturn. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment for medical savings accounts because I think that it will help all of us do one of the things I have been trying to do all along, is get away from managed care.”