John Desser: Health Savings Accounts and Market-Based Healthcare Solutions

Joe Grogan talks with John Desser, VP and Head of Government Affairs at Health Equity, about market-based healthcare and why

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) may be its future. John's 35-year career runs from an internship in Senator John McCain's office through the Bush administration, eHealth, and now Health Equity. He recounts how the ACA's first draft nearly wiped out private online insurance marketplaces, why healthcare.gov stumbled, and how consumer control can fix healthcare's misaligned incentives. He also reflects on Ron Wyden's universal coverage plan without a mandate, Ted Kennedy's role in bipartisan reform, McCain's skinny repeal vote, and Trump's "give the money to the people" approach.

Key Timestamps

1:10 Joe welcomes John Desser of Health Equity

1:26 From foreign policy major to healthcare policy

1:46 Falling into healthcare in McCain's office, summer 1989

2:40 35 years in healthcare, thanks to Dave McIntyre

3:18 Coalition for Affordable Health Coverage and refundable tax credits

4:45 Bill Thomas: Spend as much as Democrats, but spend it our way

6:11 Updating the Archer MSA law

7:30 How Bill Thomas put HSAs in the Medicare Modernization Act

8:06 Leading health policy in the Bush administration