July 16, 2002

Washington, D.C.--- Archer Medical Savings Accounts, which allow consumers to choose their own doctor and shop around for the best health prices, have become the consumer trend that addresses the growing crisis of rising health care costs. Warnings of double digit increases in health premium rates next year have made health care a top issue in the approaching mid-term elections. Many recent news reports outline how Americans are saving money on health expenses by taking control of their health decisions.

"It all comes back to comparison shopping," says Ken Linde, acting chair of the Consumer Driven Health Care Association, a trade group of small health insurance companies. "Knowing the comparison costs of health care is a great thing," Linde says. "Once consumers learn it, they become smart shoppers."             Washington Post 7/16/02

"Proponents of MSAs say the savings accounts encourage people to become more savvy consumers and shop around for health care. Golden Rule Insurance Co., one of the leading providers of MSAs in the nation, says its customers have saved thousands of dollars on such things as baby delivery costs by calling hospitals and comparing rates."
   Insurance.com/CBS Marketwatch 7/15/02

"The ability to directly control one's own health care cost is the clear market trend, and a refreshing alternative to HMO red-tape that frustrates so many consumers," said Karen Kerrigan, Chairwoman of the Coalition for Patient Choice.  "Archer MSAs not only provide consumers with more health care choice and control, but they allow the individual to save money in the process."