Medical savings accounts: in the spotlight on Capitol Hill.

Medical savings accounts (MSAs) have emerged as one of the key health care proposals under consideration in the 104th Congress. These tax-free accounts, which are viewed as an alternative to traditional "comprehensive" health care coverage, would allow individuals and their employers to set aside money to pay for major health care expenses. Depending on how they are designed, MSAs could have significant implications for HMOs and other managed care arrangements.