Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are an excellent way to pay for your medical, dental and vision out-of-pocket expenses, but how much should you be contributing?
This will vary by individual and by budget, but here are several things to consider:
Fed HSA Contribution Limits
If you want to maximize your pre-tax deductions, maxing out the limit on your HSA is a great option. The money rolls from year to year, including into retirement; therefore, the funds will always be available to you, regardless of when you incur the expenses.
Individual
$3,500 (2019) Less CUW/CUAA’s $700 contribution
$3,550 (2020) Less CUW/CUAA’s $600 contribution
Family
$7,000 (2019) Less CUW/CUAA’s $1,400 contribution
$7,100 (2020) Less CUW/CUAA’s $1,200 contribution
*PLUS, if you are 55 or older, you can contribute an additional $1,000 annually
Deductible & Out-of-Pocket Maximums
If you want to ensure you have enough money saved to cover your annual deductible and/or out-of-pocket maximum (should you hit it), allocating funds to your HSA gives you peace of mind knowing you will have enough to cover the medical bills as they come along without dipping into personal savings.
Individual
$1,400 deductible | $2,800 maximum out-of-pocket (2019 & 2020)
Family
$2,800 deductible | $5,600 maximum out-of-pocket (2019 & 2020)
Future Planning
Family planning? Upcoming surgery? Retirement medical bill concerns? You can plan ahead for increased medical expenses down the road, and use time to your advantage by spreading out the contributions. Because your money rolls from year to year, there is no downside to building up that balance!
Current Medical Bill
Did you get a medical/dental/vision bill but don’t have funds in your HSA? You can elect to do a one-time contribution off of an upcoming paycheck and we can deduct whatever you would like. Let’s say you receive a bill for $300 from your dentist. Instead of paying from your checking account, have us deduct $300 on your next check and pay the dentist (or reimburse yourself) the $300. This maximizes your tax benefit without committing to $300 every paycheck all year long.
Contributing to your HSA is flexible. You can contribute the same amount all year, make changes with any paycheck, or do single one-time contributions through payroll when the funds are needed only.
- All funds are contributed pre-tax.
- Funds roll from year-to-year.
- You can earn interest! If your balance exceeds $1,000, you can choose to invest it and earn a higher rate of return.
What’s not to love?! Forms are available on the forms repository or in HR (S104A) anytime.
Contact Sarah Gartman, assistant director of Human Resources at Concordia, with questions.
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