HSA

Dear Liz: I established a health savings account when I was self-employed using an HSA-compliant healthcare plan. Now I am employed. My employer does not offer a health plan that was designated as an HSA, but my deductible is $7,000, higher than the minimum for an individual. Can I continue to contribute to my existing HSA?

Answer: Unfortunately, no. To contribute to an HSA, you must be covered by an HSA-compliant high-deductible healthcare plan, and you may not be covered by other health insurance, including Medicare.

HSAs were created as a way to encourage people to choose high-deductible health insurance plans, but many people use them as an additional way to save for retirement. HSAs have a rare triple tax break: contributions are pretax, the account can grow tax deferred and withdrawals are tax free if used to pay qualifying healthcare expenses.

Unlike flexible spending accounts, which are “use it or lose it,” HSAs allow people to roll unused balances over from year to year. Plus, balances can be invested for long-term growth. Many people value these tax advantages so highly that they pay medical expenses out of pocket, leaving their HSA balances to grow for the future.

But HSA-compliant health insurance policies must meet certain criteria, including a minimum deductible of $1,400 for individuals and $2,800 for families for 2022. (The average deductible in 2021 was $2,349 for individuals and $5,217 for families, according to KFF, the healthcare research organization formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation.) The maximum out-of-pocket limit — including deductibles and co-pays, but not premiums — is $7,050 for individuals or $14,100 for families in 2022.

As you can see, you’ve wound up with the worst of both worlds: a very high deductible with no option to save in an HSA. Perhaps your employer is compensating you so handsomely in other areas that you can overlook this deficit in your benefits. If not, it might be time to look for an employer who can offer more.