HSAs, which have been heavily promoted by the Bush administration, let consumers reserve before-tax funds for health expenses. Typically, they are coupled with high-deductible health insurance policies. The savings accounts are used to pay for doctor's visits and other health services until deductibles are met.

The same report showed that health insurance premiums rose more than twice as fast as inflation and wages, although the 7.7 percent increase for 2006 was the smallest since 2000.

This is the third year in a row that the rate of increase in health insurance premiums has slowed, the report noted.