Background
The nation’s foremost authority on Health Savings Accounts
Roy Ramthun led the U.S. Treasury Department’s implementation of Health Savings
Accounts after they were enacted into law in 2003 — making him one of a handful
of people who helped design the rules that govern HSAs today. His work at Treasury
included developing guidance and regulations, responding to questions from employers,
insurers, and financial institutions, and educating the public about how HSAs work.
President George W. Bush subsequently appointed Roy as health care policy advisor
at the White House, where he developed the President’s proposals to expand HSA
access and oversaw implementation of the Medicare prescription drug benefit (Part D).
Few people in the country have navigated the intersection of health care policy and
tax law at that level.
After leaving government service, Roy founded HSA Consulting Services, where he
advises employers, insurers, financial institutions, and government agencies on HSA
design, compliance, and strategy. He is a frequent speaker at national conferences
and is widely sought after as an expert witness and policy consultant on HSA matters.
Roy holds a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of
Michigan. He teaches at Surgent CPE because he believes accounting, tax, and finance
professionals are best positioned to help clients make the most of HSAs — and that
most of them are working with outdated or incomplete information.