Health Savings Accounts

A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a medical savings account governed by federal law that allows you to contribute pre-tax payroll dollars to an account to use towards future out-of-pocket medical expenses.
 

  • To be eligible to contribute to an HSA, you must meet IRS guidelines.  In general, the IRS eligibility rules surrounding HSAs include the following:

    1. You must be enrolled in a qualified High Deductible Health Plan; the Anthem BCBS Consumer Choice HSA plan qualifies as a High Deductible Health plan under this rule;
    2. You cannnot be covered by any other health insurance that reimburses for health expenses, unless it is another HSA-qualified HDHP.  Employees with coverage under two HSA-qualified HDHPs do not get to double their HSA contribution;
    3. Enrollment in other traditional Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) may make you ineligible for an HSA;
    4. Employees who are enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid cannot open an HSA.

    For complete information about eligiblity, please visit the OneUSG website.

    The amount you are eligible to contribute to an HSA is determined by:

    1. The number of months you are covered under the High Deductible Health Plan and by the type of coverage you have on December 1st; and
    2. The maximum amount allowed by the IRS. Individuals age 55 and older can make additional “catch-up” contribution of $1,000.  The employer matching contribution made on your behalf will be included in these limits.

    If you enroll in the Anthem BCBS Consumer Choice HSA High Deductible Health Plan and contribute to an HSA, you are not allowed to contribute to the Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA). You may contribute to the Limited Purpose Flexible Spending Account for Dental and Vision expenses only.

  • You may use your HSA to cover qualified eligible out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. Qualified eligible medical expenses generally include out of pocket expenses for medically necessary health services and supplies and also include medical, dental & vision deductibles, co-pays & co-insurance. Detailed information regarding qualified health expenses may be found in IRS Publication 502.

    Over-the-counter medications are not eligible for reimbursement unless you have a prescription from your doctor. You are responsible for making sure your expenses meet the IRS definition of “qualified” expenses.

    If you have questions regarding Eligible Medical Expenses, please contact Human Resources or see your tax advisor. You are responsible for ensuring purchases made with your HSA card are qualified eligible medical purchase or are reimbursable towards a prior qualified eligible medical purchase. Make sure to keep your receipts and withdrawal slips as documentation.

  • NO “Use it or Lose it”: Your HSA rolls over from year to year. You may continue to contribute to the account as long as you are enrolled in the High Deductible Health Plan. If you change medical plans or lose coverage, you may no longer contribute to the account, but you are able to continue using the savings to pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses.

    Flexibility: You can use the savings in the account to pay for current out-of-pocket medical expenses. If you don’t need the savings to pay for current medical expenses, you can save money for future medical needs.

    Tax Savings: If you enroll in the HSA through payroll deduction, the contributions are made pre-tax. If you make your contribution after-tax, you can deduct your contribution as an “above-the-line” deduction on your tax form to reduce your taxable income.

    HSA Bank Health Savings Account
    Your HSA will be with HSA Bank. You will need to activate your HSA Bank MasterCard and register on the HSA Bank website. Once you have completed both steps, you will be able to access your HSA funds as they are deposited.

    Employer Matching Contribution
    Employees enrolled in the HDHP will receive an employer matching contribution into their HSA. The employer matching contribution will match your HSA contribution dollar for dollar each payroll up to the employer matching contribution limit of $375 for single coverage and $750 for family coverage.

Resources

 

 
©