As predicted by industry pundits, President George W. Bush is putting his weight behind stronger Health Savings Account efforts this year.

He is expected to make limiting the soaring costs of health care a strong part of his domestic themes in his State of the Union address, and to tout HSAs and other forms of healthcare reform to Congress and the American people.

"For the sake of America's small businesses, workers and families, we must ... make health care more affordable and accessible,'' Bush said in his latest weekly radio broadcast.
He said he plans to press Congress to expand the use and availability of tax-free Health Savings Accounts,' which allow people to set aside money for routine medical expenses while also providing tax free savings towards retirement.

The accounts are designed to be compatible with low-cost insurance policies that cover catastrophic illnesses.

The White House believes that encouraging more Americans to buy health insurance on their own would introduce more competition into the market than the current system, which relies heavily on employer-provided health insurance.  This is occurring during a period when corporations are increasingly reducing their share of the healthcare bill by shifting costs to employees.

"This year, I will ask Congress to take steps to make these (Health Savings Accounts) more available, more affordable and more portable,'' Bush said in the radio address.

He is to appear before Congress on January 31 to deliver his State of the Union address laying out his priorities for the year. White House sources and several Republican lawmakers have said they expect the healthcare initiative to be cited in that speech.