Study: HSAs Reduce Costs

The latest and the most comprehensive study of Health Savings Accounts confirms what previous studies have found: they work. In an NBER Working Paper, economists report the results from 13 million person years of data on employees and dependents at 54 large firms. “Consumer directed health care” plans (with deductibles 2 to 3 times the size of the control group) reduced spending by 15% per year for three consecutive years. There was no indication of adverse health effects.

Evidence I would like to Ignore: Moderate Drinking May Not Be Good for You

David Roodman reviews the latest studies:

In light of these facts, Occam’s razor argues for a simple theory: the net marginal impact of drinking on health is negative at all levels; and moderate drinking is a marker for relative youth, affluence, and healthy habits rather than a cause of good health (Chikritzhs et al. 2015). Pending high-quality evidence to the contrary, alcohol taxes should be presumed to save even more lives in the long run.