HSA Refresher Course (For Me)

From The OP: I just found a great site, with a great list of FAQ's
Health Savings Accounts - Frequently Asked Questions | Texas Health Agents

Here's one more question. I recently got a prescription. I kept the small paper receipt & put it in my HSA file folder. I'm assuming that's all that would we be required in the event of an audit ?

I also received the full page 8 x 10 medication info sheet, with this attached to the bottom.

A person can discard this, correct ?
 
All I keep is the receipt, which hopefully shows it as a prescription of some kind or place of business identifying it as a pharmacy or doctors office or whatever. I don't keep the med info sheet. I mark the receipt with a code (YEAR-XX) and have a corresponding entry in a spreadsheet to keep the totals with a description field. The less descriptive the receipt, the more descriptive I get with the entry. I doubt I'll ever get audited, but I feel just fine that with a printout of my spreadsheet and a shoebox full of correlated receipts, that part of the audit won't last long, and if it does, my records will hold up.
 
6: Assuming there’s still sufficient funds in my HSA, when I turn 65 & go on Medicare, I can use money from my HSA to pay Medicare
premiums ? And even though those premiums are deducted from my SS benefits, I can withdraw money from the HSA tax free to
reimburse myself for the part B premiums, & also use it to pay part D premiums, as well as premiums for Medicare advantage plans ?
(but not medigap) http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f38/options-with-hsa-88277.html

HSA funds can be used to reimburse Part B & D premiums, and Medicare Advantage premiums, but not Medigap policy premiums. It's quoted here and I've looked at the IRS publication and it seems to be the case. But why? Does anyone have any idea why Medigap policies can't be reimbursed?

Thanks
 
Just to show what's possible in an HSA, I have been contributing the max for years and not withdrawing. Funds are at Optum and are in a Vanguard stock fund. Balance is well over 6 figures and continuing to grow.
 
I mark the receipt with a code (YEAR-XX) and have a corresponding entry in a spreadsheet to keep the totals with a description field.
I do the same thing. (also scan the receipt)
29143-albums238-picture1829.png
 
Just to show what's possible in an HSA, I have been contributing the max for years and not withdrawing. Funds are at Optum and are in a Vanguard stock fund. Balance is well over 6 figures and continuing to grow.
That's impressive!
Do you plan to start using those funds at some point ?

I only have a little under 10k in my account, & I'm not sure when I'll start using it ?

I just noticed you retired the same year, & at the same age I did :D
 
#1 Needs to be revised. (Sorry -- I didn't read the rest of the list yet).

You need to have a HDHP to make contributions to an HSA for the current year, HOWEVER, it is not required by the IRS to open an HSA.

I ran into this recently when my wife needed to jettison her old employer sponsored HSA when, as a retiree, they were going to subject her to excessive fees.

We don't have a HDHP plan this year so we cannot make new contributions, but rollovers and transfers are entirely allowed.

Further (formerly Select Account) made it look like you need to have a HDHP to open account. I know from my IRS training that this is not an IRS requirement, but could be a Further requirement.

I have long grown tired of Further and decided to checkout Fidelity HSA.
When clicking past the initial info, you can see that their terms/conditions clearly state that you do not need an HDHP if you only plan to fund your HSA with rollovers/transfers from and existing HSA.

So in conclusion, #1 is overly restrictive if you have no desire to make current year's contributions.

-gauss
 
Last edited:
That's impressive!
Do you plan to start using those funds at some point ?

I only have a little under 10k in my account, & I'm not sure when I'll start using it ?

I just noticed you retired the same year, & at the same age I did :D

I just hold on to my medical expense receipts and will pull the dollars out down the road. No rush.
I was aiming to retire at 50 but it was tough to extricate myself from work. Glad to be done. Don't miss the stress....:dance:
 
Update

As recommended by moderators, I searched for older articles related to HSA’s, but very few, if any of those threads cover more than 1 or 2 specific questions/area’s, & many of them are quite dated. As popular as HSA’s seem to be (especially for members of this forum) I'm thinking this might be helpful for future members as well.

I retired June 2015, & opened my HSA @ HSA Bank in late 2016. I just recently transferred it to Fidelity.

Here’s my basic understanding of HSA’s, & a few questions.


1: You can only open up & make tax deductible contributions, if you have a high deductible, HSA compatible health care plan.
True

Update: You do not need a HDHP if you only plan to fund your HSA with rollovers/transfers from an existing HSA.

*Once you turn age 65, you can no longer make contributions to an HSA.
But if funds are still available in the account, you can still use it to make tax free reimbursements to yourself for earlier medical expenses, & other things medical related. See #6 & #7


2: For 2019, the max contribution is $3,500.00 (Single) If you’re 55+ for any part of 2019, you can add another 1-k $4,500.00
$7,000.00 (Family) If you’re 55+ for any part of 2019, you can add another 1-k x 2 = $9,000.00
Correct
**They can each add a catch up contribution of $1000 only if they each have their own HSA**


4: I had a minor medical event in May of 2016. I have all the receipts for my out-of-pocket costs. I was on *Cobra* through November
of that year, & I didn't initiate my HSA until December. With that in mind, if I chose to at some later date, could I use HSA funds
to reimburse myself, even though at the time I had the illness, I had a non HD plan, & hadn’t even opened an HSA yet.
No: You can't use HSA money to pay for qualified medical costs that occurred before the account was initiated.

5: Assuming it’s all medical related, are there limits to annual distributions.
No:

6: Assuming there’s still sufficient funds in my HSA, when I turn 65 & go on Medicare, I can use money from my HSA to pay Medicare
premiums. And even though those premiums are deducted from my SS benefits, I can withdraw money from the HSA tax free to
reimburse myself for the part B premiums, & also use it to pay part D premiums, as well as premiums for Medicare advantage plans.
(but not medi-gap) True

7: As I've learned here @ ERF, it's best to contribute as much as possible each year, & let it grow tax-free as long as possible.
This is exactly what I'm going to do, as long as I’m able to do so.
Even though I've seen this question answered many times, I'll ask it again just to be absolutely sure.
Assuming the rules don't change, as long as I have the proper receipts/paperwork, 10 years from now, I could take a tax-free
distribution from my HSA, to reimburse myself for the 2 teeth cleanings I'll receive in 2019. True

8: When you take distributions from your HSA, as long as the entire amount is used for qualified medical expenses, it ‘will not’ count as income related to
your MAGI (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) FYI: This is the number the feds use to determine if you qualify for health care premium subsidies.
Thanks to circumstances beyond my control, I went over my maximum amount by $305.00 in 2018. The consequences are painful.
__________________
"No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity, but I know none, therefore am no beast"
 
Last edited:
Worth quoting from the article so folk know what is and is not included in that estimate:
Fidelity's analysis, which assumes the two theoretical people are eligible for Medicare, includes premiums, copays and other cost-sharing expenses, along with prescription-drug costs.

And, it's just a starting point. Things that are not covered by Medicare — dental, basic vision, over-the-counter medicines, long-term care — would be on top of that $285,000 estimate.

The biggest unknown variable for retirees is long-term care, which includes help with daily living activities such as eating and dressing.

It’s worth it’s own thread.
 
Thanks, Audrey - the quote you extracted is very important.

This thread and the Medicare Supplement thread have been real motivators to get me thinking and planning. That’s a GOOD thing!
 
A minor caveat to 1. & 2:
The contribution limits are actually monthly and add up to the annual limit. You have to be covered by only a HDHP for the entire year to get the entire annual contribution limit. Otherwise it is pro-rata by the month covered.
Except for the last month rule, as follows.......

"Under the Last Month Rule, if an individual is eligible on the first day of the last month of the tax year (December 1 for most taxpayers), he or she is considered an eligible individual for the entire year. HSA accountholders may utilize the Last Month Rule to make a full HSA contribution for that year.
 
Can regular insurance premiums be used as medical expenses to come out of your HSA?
In 2018 Publication 502 (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf) on page 8 it says

Insurance Premiums
You can include in medical expenses insurance premiums you pay for policies that cover medical care.

If I had known this I would have used my HSA to pay my health insurance after retirement and before Medicare and then converted my Roll over IRA to a Roth.

Is my understanding correct?
 
Can regular insurance premiums be used as medical expenses to come out of your HSA?
In 2018 Publication 502 (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf) on page 8 it says

Insurance Premiums
You can include in medical expenses insurance premiums you pay for policies that cover medical care.

If I had known this I would have used my HSA to pay my health insurance after retirement and before Medicare and then converted my Roll over IRA to a Roth.

Is my understanding correct?



That IRS Pub is detailing what expenses are tax deductible, as in an itemized deduction on your 1040.

See pub 969 for details on what your HSA can be used for. Insurance premiums are specifically excluded as a qualified medical expense. There is a short list of exceptions, such as Medicare and long term care insurance.

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p969.pdf
 
Back
Top Bottom