Data and dollars: how CDHC is driving the convergence of banking and health care

The new world of consumer-directed health care is arriving faster than many thought possible, and new trends are taking shape: Consumers in large numbers are adopting health savings accounts paired with high-deductible insurance policies. Banks, credit unions, and even insurance companies are offering HSAs and making them increasingly attractive by letting holders invest their unused deposits in mutual funds. Employers-including giants such as Wal-Mart--are pushing their employees in large numbers into these consumer-directed plans.