Is Rick Santorum the “Father of Health Savings Accounts”? No, according to the Washington Post, which gave him two pinocchios for the claim. The appellation belongs to yours truly (along with a few of my colleagues) says the Post, which gives a pretty good legislative history of the idea.

There are now more than 30 million people managing some of their own health dollars in spend-it-or-save-it accounts. About half of those are Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and about half are Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). These health plans are the fastest growing products in the health insurance marketplace.

So this may be an appropriate time to recount some other interesting historical facts that I believe most people—even those in health policy—probably don’t know.