On paper this is not a terrible proposal. An HSA that's funded well enough to cover the gap to a high-deductible plan combines the best of both worlds. And with the money in a self-directed fund, you have a two forces bringing prices downwards - consumer incentives to shop around, and reduced need for billing middlemen between insurance and hospitals.

This is not too different to the highly successful systems used in Singapore (and Switzerland, if you squint a little).

I'm skeptical for a few reasons:

- Hospitals and insurers would both equally hate it

- Republicans have actively undermined any semi-serious proposal, and have even raided the HSA tax advantages a few times to fund more regressive tax cuts elsewhere

- This is a loosely thrown out idea from one of the least trustworthy administrations in American history, who has failed to achieve anything meaningfully through legislation.

Bet their taking a page out of China's playbook, send the sick people to Greenland and when there's enough claim it's ancient US territory. /s