In Brief: Archer Vows to Fight for Medical Accounts

WASHINGTON - House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer vowed Tuesday to keep fighting to pass legislation that would expand medical savings accounts before he retires this year.

Rep. Archer's plan would make the accounts permanent and would eliminate the cap on the number that employers may offer.

Congress passed legislation creating medical savings accounts in 1996 as part of a pilot program limited to 750,000 accounts and allowed only employers with fewer than 50 workers to offer them. The program is set to expire at yearend.