Second HSA Account Instead of Joint Account

[sengsational]

From what I've been able to discern, it would be possible for me to open a second HSA account for DW, which would allow me to put in an additional $1,050 per year. But I just had a thought...would that mean only she could utilize those funds? If that's so, then it's certainly not something I'd like to do...not only would it increase the book-keeping effort (right now, it all goes into one spreadsheet and the paperwork goes into one folder, no matter if it's my HSA eligible expense or hers), it also would make it so if one of us needed more health care than the other, only 'half' of the funds would be available. My plan is to keep it to pay Medicare part B, so in that case, it wouldn't matter, but I'd rather not get boxed-in for an additional few bucks on taxes now. Sound about right?

 

[pb4uski]

We have separate HSA accounts and I have separate files of our medical expenses since the HSAs have been in existence. Easy peasy.

 

[kaneohe]

Check out some of the links here: https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=can+you+use+individual+hsa+account+for+spouse+expenses

I looked at 3 and they all said you could pay for other family members out of your own account (and the reverse). Having multiple sources agree is almost as good as getting it from IRS; might be in Pub969 but this seemed easier.

and here's P969:

Qualified medical expenses are those incurred by the following persons.
You and your spouse.

All dependents you claim on your tax return.

Any person you could have claimed as a dependent on your return except that:

The person filed a joint return,

The person had gross income of $3,950 or more, or

You, or your spouse if filing jointly, could be claimed as a dependent on someone else's 2014 return.

 

[sengsational]

Thanks for that. I was wrong-headed about this...I thought my HSA was somehow a joint HSA, so when I googled it, I wasn't ready to interpret those FAQ's properly. One of the sites says this:

Can I use my HSA account to pay for medical expenses for my spouse and dependents?

Yes, you may use funds from your HSA to cover eligible medical expenses for your spouse and any dependents. To maximize your tax benefit and savings potential, both you and your spouse should consider having separate HSAs.

 

[523HRR]

While only one HSA is needed for the family $6,650 contribution limit (2015), the additional $1,000 (55+) catch-up contribution must be made by each spouse to their own HSA separately.

 

[Animorph]

I did the separate accounts so that I could contribute the extra $1k while DW couldn't. We're not planning on withdrawing anything in the near future, so I'm saving all my receipts. When the time comes to start Roth withdrawals we'll start with the HSA's to the extent that the receipts and Medicare expenses allow.