The 5 most important health care stories of 2011 and 2012

Two conflicting surveys were released in June. A McKinsey survey projected 30% of employers would likely stop offering health insurance once PPACA provisions kick in, while a Lockton survey pinged the number at 18%, similar to other surveys during 2011. There was much controversy over the McKinsey survey, with D.C.-based online outlet Talking Points Memo finding from internal sources that the McKinsey survey “wasn’t designed in away that would allow it to be peer review published or cited academically.” McKinsey responded defending its methodology and saying comparing the results to other research on the topic is unfair.

In July, Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) introduced legislation that would allow consumers to pay taxes on and withdraw their remaining funds from their FSAs. The bill was referred to the Committee on Finance and is stalled there. However, critics remained under-whelmed by the proposal. At the time Paul Dennett, senior vice president of health care reform for the American Benefits Council told EBA he would have preferred Congress “allow unused FSA dollars to simply remain in an individual’s FSA to meet future health care needs, or perhaps rolled over into an HSA when that option is available, too.”