High Interest Investment

What are the rules regarding Health Savings Accounts?

I started a new job back in Aug. 2006. My employer offers a group health insurance plan but it is not a very good one and has a high deductible. The company dropped the ball in getting me signed up for the plan in time and now their not so good plan isn't even going to cover a pre-existing condition. I talked to the boss and came to an agreement that in lieu of being covered under their plan they would just contribute $130 monthly (the same amount they would pay to put me on their plan) to a Health Savings Account that I could use to pay medical expenses. He came back and said that he could not make good on the agreement because he was told I had to have some type of insurance coverage to contribut to an HSA. He also said that the max I (or the company on my behalf) could contribute to one of these type accounts is $1100 annually. Which is $460 less than what we agreed upon. Can anyone explain the rules of HSA's to me and what other options I might consider to work this out?

Public Comments

1. An individual can set up an HSA for himself or his family. An employer can add an Health Savings Account option to the so-called cafeteria benefit plan it may already offer. The money put into the plan is before taxes, including Social Security, if part of an employer plan. Otherwise it is a above-the-line deduction, meaning you don’t have to itemize your deductions to get the tax break and that the deduction is not subject to the phase-out rules that make many itemized deductions unavailable to high wage earners. The Health Savings Account is set up like an IRA. A trustee approved by the IRS must be used. Money put in the plan grows tax free and funds withdrawn for qualified medical expenses are also tax free. Unlike the older Flexible Savings Accounts offered in employer cafeteria plans, you don’t have to spend the money put into the account by year end or otherwise lose whatever’s left. Money can be rolled over from year to year. This can allow for a nice chunk of money to accumulate that can be withdraw tax free at age 65. In order to qualify for a Health Savings Account, the individual or family must purchase a high deducible health insurance policy. These are special policies that have a minimum deductible of $1000 to a maximum of $5000 for an individual and $2000 to $10,000 for a family. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium. Individuals can contribute and deduct the lesser of $2250 or the deductible on the policy: for married couples or families it is double that. If over 55, the contribution and deduction is $600 higher for individuals and $1200 higher for couples and will continue to rise at $100 a year until 2009, where it will be capped at $1000 for individuals and $2000 for families or couples. The money in the Health Savings Account cannot be used to pay the premiums for this policy except in certain circumstances (basically when you’re unemployed). It is meant to meet the deductible on the policy, co-pays, drug costs, eyeglasses or any other medical expense that could be itemized on an individual tax return as a medical expense. Money used to pay qualified medical costs is withdrawn tax free. Money withdrawn in excess of qualified medical expenses is taxed as income and subject to a 10% penalty, unless the owner is disabled or over 65. Any money in the account at death is added to the taxable estate. There are no income limits on Health Savings Accounts. If started early, when you are still young and healthy, a substantial amount of money could accumulate to either meet higher medical costs as you get older or to use to supplement your income in retirement.
2. The first problem is that you would need to purchase a Health Insurance plan that is "HSA eligible" not all high deductible plans are HSA eligible, without one you cannot open a HSA plan. Secondly basd on your question, you say he could only contribute 1100 annually, this tells me that two things might of occured, first your contribution cannot exceed your deductible, secondly in 2006 the rules of contribution were that you could not contribute a portion depending on when your contribution begin, example if you started in January and your Deductible was 1100. you could contribute the full 1100. First make sure your plan is a HSA Eligible plan, not all high deductible plans qualify. Second HSA plans are incredible, if your employer has agreed to contribute that is wonderful. Remember the HSA account is portable, so if you leave employement at your current job, you will still take your money and account with you!.. It is an incredible way to fund your future medical costs! The good news is that 2007 the rules have changed for the better!.. Good Luck to you