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Health Savings Account (HSA)
Investments
Individual investment funds available as of June 30, 2024, are shown below. These funds are available for direct investment for HSA account holders meeting the minimum balance threshold. HSA lifestyle model portfolios also use selected funds from this list. Periodically, there may be changes to available funds based on the expertise and discretion of our investment advisor.
HSAs are an employer-sponsored benefit account for people with a qualified high deductible healthcare plan. Participants make pre-tax contributions into their account and use the funds for out-of-pocket eligible medical expenses for themselves and their dependents. Infographic link.
View a List of Qualified Expenses for HISD’s HSA: https://hisd.zynerahealth.com/hsa-expenses
Top 10 Reasons You Should Have an HSA
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1 - Tax Savings
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You can deduct your HSA deductions from your gross income on your federal tax return, even if you do not itemize deductions. Many states also allow this deduction from state income taxes.
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2 - Earn Interest
Funds in your HSA grow with tax-deferred interest.
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3 - Portability
You own your account, so even if you change jobs, your HSA funds go with you.
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4 - Affordable Health Coverage
Use your Health Savings Account to cover 100% of the cost of routine medical expenses like office visits, lab tests, and over-the-counter drugs.
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5 - Reduced Insurance Premiums
Your insurance premiums can be substantially lower when you change from a low-deductible plan to a high-deductible plan.
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6 - Long-term Savings
Because your funds can roll over from year to year, you can let the funds in your account grow tax- deferred. That’s why HSAs have been referred to as the “Medical IRA”.
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7 - Retirement Bonus
After age 65, you may make withdrawals from your HSA for any reason without the 20% penalty imposed before age 65 for non- medical withdrawals. (Note: You’ll still have to pay taxes on the money.
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8 - Safety Net
There is no “use it or lose it” provision, so you can build up the savings in your HSA to use for major health events.
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9 - Coverage for “Extras”
You can also use your HSA funds for programs not usually covered by other health plans, including dental, optical, COBRA premiums and much more.
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10 - Empowerment
Take control of your routine healthcare decisions - you get to choose the healthcare and providers that you want.
10 Frequently Ask Questions About Health Savings Accounts
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Q: Can anyone open an HSA?
No. You must be enrolled in a High-Deductible Health Plan. A High-Deductible Health Plan is defined as having a deductible of at least $1,650 for Employee Only health coverage or at least $3,300 for Family coverage.
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Q: How much can I contribute each year?
A: IRS annual limits for 2025 are $4,300 for Employee Only coverage, or $8,550 for Family coverage. If aged 55 or older, you can also make “catch-up” contributions of up to $1,000 per year above those limits.
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Q: In what ways can I contribute?
A: You can make either pre-tax contributions, post-tax contributions, or a combination, if the combined total does not exceed IRS annual limits. Pre-tax contributions are made through payroll deduction. Post-tax contributions are made by depositing directly into your HSA account. Post-tax contributions for a given year can be made up until the due date of your tax return for that year; for most people, 2025 post-tax contributions can continue to be made through April 15, 2026.
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Q: How much can I spend each year?
A: The only spending limit is your HSA account balance. You can only withdraw up to the amount in your account at that point in time. Any unused funds roll over from year to year. You do not lose any funds if they are not used by the end of the year.
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Q: What can I spend my HSA funds on?
A: You can use HSA funds for any expense accepted by the IRS as a legitimate medical expense, such as doctorvisits,therapy,hospitalization,prescriptions, vision care, dental, etc. To be eligible, the expense must be incurred on or after the date the HSA account was opened. HSA funds can also be used for health insurance premiums such as COBRA and TEFRA.
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Q: Can I spend HSA funds on family members who are not on my health plan?
A: If you have Employee Only coverage, and your spouse or dependents have separate health coverage that’s not a high- deductible plan, you can still use your HSA funds to pay their medical expenses as long as you file a Federal tax return that includes that person as a joint filer or dependent.
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Q: How do I access my funds?
A: You will receive a Mastercard® debit card that is linked to your HSA account. This is a limited-purpose Mastercard® which is coded for medical providers only. Swipe the card just as you would any credit card. Although you have the option of setting a PIN, no PIN is required.
The card lets you cover expenses without having to pay out of pocket first and then wait for reimbursement. If your medical provider does not accept credit cards or for whatever reason you did not use your Mastercard® debit card to pay the expense, then you can submit a claim for reimbursement.
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Q: Do I have to keep up with receipts?
A: Yes. We offer our patented ClaimsVault® – an “electronic shoebox”– to store receipts if you don’t want to have to keep up with them yourself.
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Q: I’m going to become eligible for Medicare later this year. Can I still have an HSA?
A: If any part of Medicare is elected, you cannot contribute any more money after your Medicare effective date. However, you can continue using any funds previously contributed.