Good MedicineMedical savings accounts offer tax advantages and more-but you'd better rush to get them.

The health insurance market for entrepreneurs will take on ahurly-burly Wild West look come January 1, 1997, when The HealthInsurance Portability and Accountability Act takes effect.That's when insurance companies, as well as banks and financialservices firms-and who knows who else-will start offering medicalsavings accounts (MSAs) on a nationwide scale.

MSAs allow individuals with high-deductible health insuranceplans to set aside money for out-of-pocket medical expenses andgain advantages on federal taxes. They have existed on the statelevel for some time: Eighteen states already allow a deduction onstate income taxes for MSAs, according to Jack Strayer, director offederal affairs for The Council for Affordable Health Insurance, atrade association.