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Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2007 =

Contact:
Robert Zirkelbach
(202)=20 778-8493

4.5 Million Enrolled in Health Savings Account Plans

27 percent of new individual market enrollees were previously=20 uninsured

(Washington, DC) =E2=80=93 4.5 million Americans are covered by = lower-premium,=20 high-deductible health insurance plans that are offered in conjunction = with=20 health savings accounts (HSAs), a 43 percent increase since last year, a = new=20 census released today by America=E2=80=99s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) = found.

The census found that more than one-fourth of those purchasing HSA = plans in=20 the individual market were previously uninsured and that almost half of = those=20 enrolled in such plans were over the age of 40.

The census also reveals that HSA plans provide value-added = services. =20 Most companies offer HSA plans that cover preventive care before the = deductible=20 is met, provide disease management programs for chronic conditions, and = include=20 a wide array of Web-based tools to help consumers make more informed=20 decisions.

This is the first AHIP census that compiled information about the = savings=20 accounts that work in conjunction with HSA plans. Eighty-eight = percent of=20 accounts in place in 2006 had average annual balances of $2,500 or less, = while 4=20 percent had average annual balances over $5,000. As of January = 2007, 65=20 percent of accounts had been in place for less than one year.

=E2=80=9CConsumers and employers want coverage choices,=E2=80=9D said = Karen Ignagni,=20 President and CEO of AHIP. =E2=80=9COur members have worked = effectively to create=20 HSA products that are built on the widespread availability of = first-dollar=20 preventive coverage, disease management services and online = decision-support=20 tools.=E2=80=9D

Other key findings from the census include:

=E2=80=A2 An increase of 1.3 million Americans enrolled in an = HSA plan. =20 Previous censuses found 3.2 million enrolled in January 2006 and 1.0 = million=20 enrolled in March 2005.

=E2=80=A2 Slightly over 1 million were enrolled in the = small-group market and 2=20 million in the large-group market.

=E2=80=A2 HSA plans accounted for 25 percent of new products in = the individual=20 market, 17 percent of new policies in the small-group market, and 8 = percent of=20 new policies in the large-group market.

=E2=80=A2 Most companies (over 90 percent) offered HSA plan = options with=20 preventive benefits that are covered before the deductible is = satisfied.

=E2=80=A2 Most companies offer disease management services for = patients with=20 asthma (82 percent), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (65 percent), = congestive heart failure (84 percent), coronary artery disease (84 = percent), and=20 diabetes (91 percent).

=E2=80=A2 Most enrollees have access to consumer information = tools such as=20 online access to account information (90 percent), online health = education tools=20 (95 percent), hospital-specific quality information (85 percent),=20 physician-specific quality information (50 percent), health care cost=20 information (88 percent), and Personal Health Records (70 percent).

Health savings accounts were allowed starting in January 2004. = Since=20 then, AHIP has conducted a periodic census of health insurance plans=20 participating in the HSA/HDHP health insurance market.

The full census is available at http://www.ahipresearch.org/.&n= bsp;

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Providing Health Benefits for Over 200 Million = Americans.

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