A HAS is a kind of savings that lets the employer and the employee put aside some money as a pre-tax in order to pay for eligible medical expenses. It is important to note that a HAS can only be used if the employee has an HDHP or what is also known as the High Deductible Plan.
The HAS is also a medical saving that has a tax-advantaged made available to all taxpayers in the US. The over-all funds that are in the account may not be subjected to federal tax especially during the time of the deposit. The difference between the FSA or what is known as the Flexible Spending Account is that the HAS can carry over and also accumulate every year if this has not been spent. The reason for this is because the HAS is owned by the employee, therefore setting it apart from the HRA or the Health Reimbursement Arrangement which is owned by the company. This is also an alternate source for tax-deductible funds. Both, however, are paired with standard health plans or the HDHPs.
HSA funds can also be used for eligible medical costs that have no liability or even penalty on federal taxes. Starting in early 2011, the medications that are purchased over the counter can no longer be paid using the HSA if there is no prescription from the doctors. The withdrawals for these non-medical costs are also regarded in the same way as those of the IRA or the individual retirement accounts. This is because they can provide tax advantages if these are taken after they retire. They can also incur penalties when these are taken earlier. These accounts are components of health care that are specifically targeted to consumers.
The HSAs and its proponents believe that these are necessary reforms that can reduce the increase in expenses regarding health care as well as the effectiveness of the system. According to these proponents, the HSA can encourage people to save for their unexpected future health care as well as the expenses that go along with it. This allows patients to obtain the necessary care and there is no gatekeeper involved. Usually, the gatekeepers determine what the individual can receive as benefits. Consumers are now more responsible when it comes to their own choices in their health care all because of the HDHP.
As for those who do not find the HSA necessary and are opponents of this, they believe that it makes the medical system worse. Health care in the US cannot improve through the HSA because individuals may even hold back on their expenses. They may also spend it in unnecessary circumstances simply because it has already accumulated the penalty taxes just by withdrawing it. Those who have problems in their health have annual costs that are predictable and choose to avoid the HSA so that the costs can be paid by their insurance. There is a current ongoing debate about the satisfaction of the customers who hold these plans.
These usually have lower monthly premiums than most plans that have low deductibles. Using the untaxed funds in the Health Savings Account allows the employee to pay for the medical costs even before the deductible has been reached. This also includes other deductibles such as copayments which are usually payments done from the employee’s pockets. This eventually reduces the overall value of health care expenses.
The funds from the employee’s HSA carries or rolls over to the next year if it has not been spent in the year it was allocated. The HAS can also earn interest. It is possible for employees to open the HSA through their banks or financial institutions that they have access to.
History of the HSAs
The Health Savings Accounts were established in compliance with the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act. This is also the enactment of Section 223 of the Internal Revenue Code. This was signed on December 8, 2003, by President George Bush. They were also developed so that it can replace the accounting system for medical savings.
Deposits of the HAS
Deposits to the HSA fund can be made by any individual who holds the policy, as long as this also comes with an HDHP or the high deductible health plan care of the individual’s employer. If the employer makes the deposit to the plan for all his employees then everyone must be regarded equally. This is covered in the non-discrimination rules that is also stated in the act. If the contributions have been made via the plan stated in Section 125 then the rules for non-discrimination also do not apply. Employers have to treat the part-time and full-time employees differently. Employers can also treat the family and individual participants n different manner. The treatment of the employees who have not been enrolled in the eligible and high deductible health plan covered by the HAS is not also considered solely for non-discrimination purposes. Employers can also contribute more than usual for the employees who have not been compensated as highly as the others.
The contributions from the employer and to the employee’s HSA can also be made on the pre-tax basis, depending on the preference of the employer. If the said option is not considered by the employer then these contributions are made on a post-tax basis and also used to reduce the GTI or gross taxable income on Form 1040 of the following year. The pre-tax contributions of the employer are also not subject to the Medicare Taxes as well as Federal Insurance Contributions Tax Act. It is important to note that the pre-tax contributions of the employee that were not made via the cafeteria plans cannot be subject to Medicare and FICA taxes. No matter what the method used or tax savings associated with the deposit, these can be made by persons that cover the HAS-eligible and high deductible plan that does not include coverage way beyond what is qualified and eligible for the health care coverage.
The maximum deposit on the annual HAS is also lesser compared to the deductible or what is specified in the limitations of the Internal Revenue Service. Over time, Congress has then abolished this particular limit, basing this on the set statutory and deductible that limits the contributions to its maximum amount. Every contribution that is sent to the HAS, no matter the source, can also be included in the maximum annual amount.
The catch-up and statute provision can also apply for the participants of the plan who are aged 55 and older. This allows the IRS to limit the increase. In the income tax year 2015, the limit to the contribution is $3,350 for single individuals and it is $6,650 for married individuals. There is an additional $1,000 increase for those who are older than 55.
Every deposit that is made to HSA can ultimately become the possession of the plan holder, no matter where the deposit comes from. The funds that have been deposited and are not withdrawn can be carried over to next year. Plan holders who also discontinue their qualified insurance coverage from the HSA can deposit even more funds, and the funds that are already placed in the individual’s HSA can still be used.
On December 20, 2006, the Tax Relief and Health Care Act was signed and put into law. It also added another provision that allowed the roll-over of all IRA assets for just one time so that it can equally fund up and amount to a maximum contribution for the HSA that is set for a year. However, the tax treatments on the HSA for every state varies. There are three states that do not let HAS contributions be deducted from the tax earnings or the state income taxes. These are Alabama, New Jersey, and California.
Investments on the HAS
The funds in the HSA can also be invested in the same manner as that of investments that have been done for the IRA or the individual retirement account. The investment earnings that have been sheltered from the taxation until the point that the money has been withdrawn can also be sheltered at that time.
Similar to the IRA that is self-directed, the account for health savings can also be treated as such. A usual HSA custodian offers investments like stocks, mutual funds, bonds, financial institutions, and CDs. These also provide the accounts that offer alternatives on investments that can also be made through the HAS. Section 408 of Internal Revenue Code does not prohibit the investment in collectibles and life insurance but HSAs can also be used to invest in various assets which also include precious metals, real estate notes, private and public stocks and more.
HSAs can roll over from one fund to another and HAS cannot roll into the IRA or the 401k. Funds from these investment vehicles can also be rolled into the HAS, except for the IRA transfer that is done one time as mentioned in the previous paragraph. Unlike the contributions to the 401k plan, the HAS contributions that belong to the plan holder, no matter the deposit source, is already his or her possession. An individual that is contributing to the HSA has no obligation whatsoever to contribute to the HSA that is sponsored by his or her employer. However, employers require payroll contributions to be made to the HSA plan that is sponsored.
Withdrawals for HSA
Policyholders of the HSA do not have to get the advance approval are of the trustee of the HSA or the medical insurer for them to withdraw their funds. Funds are not also subject to taxes if these are for eligible medical costs. The costs include expenses for items and services that have been covered by the plan but are also subject to the cost-sharing of the company like coinsurance, copayments, and deductible. This can also cover the expenses that are not included in medical policies. These are vision, dental, chiropractic care as well as the medical equipment that should last for a long time, specifically hearing aids and eyeglasses. Transportation that is connected to medical care is also included in this health plan.
There are many ways to fund the HSA can be obtained. There are HSAs that comes with a debit card. There are others that give the policyholders checks so that this can be used. Some have reimbursement processes that are close to having medical insurance. A number of HSAs also have a number of possible methods for withdrawal of the HSA. The methods that are available vary from one HSA to another. The debits and checks cannot be made payable to the provider of the health plan. The funds can also be withdrawn for this reason. Withdrawals are not documents when it is not a qualified and eligible medical cost. These are subject to taxes with a penalty of 20%. This is waived for individuals who are aged 65 and older and have unfortunately become disabled during the time when the withdrawal is done. The only tax that is paid in this situation is taken into effect when the account has already become tax-deferred, somehow similar to the IRA. Medical expenses remain free of taxes.
The account holders are also required to retain their documentation to show qualified medical costs. The failure to do this and to show documentation can also cause Internal Revenue to rule out the withdrawals that have not been qualified for the medical expenses along with the over-all costs and subject to the additional penalties of the taxpayer.
Self-reimbursements have no deadline for qualified medical costs that are incurred after HSA has been established. The participants can also make the most of paying for these medical costs fresh from their pockets and also retain the receipts as long as their accounts are tax-free. Money can also be withdrawn for reasons to the value of the recipients.
