You sign up for a high deductible plan where you pay for your own medical expenses, but document them, up until you hit your out of pocket maximum ($8300 for individuals or $16600 for families), at which point your insurance kicks in to cover the catastrophic bills you typically won’t have in a typical year.
Meanwhile, you are eligible to contribute $4300 per year for individuals or $8750 for families into an HSA, which has very favorable tax treatment (pretax money deposited, not taxed when taken out for health expenses, even after growing a lot), and allows you to invest everything above the minimum cash balance (varies by provider, usually something like $1000 or $2000).
That way in a year you happen to hit a $1 million illness or injury you’re still covered against catastrophic financial loss, but you generally pay your own way with tax-deductible funds that you’re allowed to invest for growth.
At a certain point, you can invest it like a 401k. That’s a giveaway to the stock market. Eventually, you can withdraw it for anything in retirement.
Where a 401k is invested with tax-free money now but gets taxed later, and an IRA is invested with taxed money that doesn’t get taxed later, an HSA is invested tax-free AND doesn’t get taxed later.
What I’m saying is that it’s a giant tax dodge masquerading as a band-aid for a broken healthcare system.
Do what you need to for taking care of you and your family. Maxing out an HSA is generally your best option right now. But just keep in mind that this is a system that shouldn’t exist.
some employers contribute to your HSA, such as matching the amount you contribute each paycheck.
when you contribute to your HSA from each paycheck, that amount is not taxed.
it’s possible to withdraw cash at an ATM from your HSA account if you really need it. no one really stops you from doing this. I saw someone buy weed using cash they withdrew this way.
There is also no time limit on bills that are eligible to be paid from HSA. So if you are able to, you can pay out of pocket now, keep a copy of the bill, and cash it in 15 years later.
That’s basically what an HSA is.
You sign up for a high deductible plan where you pay for your own medical expenses, but document them, up until you hit your out of pocket maximum ($8300 for individuals or $16600 for families), at which point your insurance kicks in to cover the catastrophic bills you typically won’t have in a typical year.
Meanwhile, you are eligible to contribute $4300 per year for individuals or $8750 for families into an HSA, which has very favorable tax treatment (pretax money deposited, not taxed when taken out for health expenses, even after growing a lot), and allows you to invest everything above the minimum cash balance (varies by provider, usually something like $1000 or $2000).
That way in a year you happen to hit a $1 million illness or injury you’re still covered against catastrophic financial loss, but you generally pay your own way with tax-deductible funds that you’re allowed to invest for growth.
Goes beyond even that.
At a certain point, you can invest it like a 401k. That’s a giveaway to the stock market. Eventually, you can withdraw it for anything in retirement.
Where a 401k is invested with tax-free money now but gets taxed later, and an IRA is invested with taxed money that doesn’t get taxed later, an HSA is invested tax-free AND doesn’t get taxed later.
What I’m saying is that it’s a giant tax dodge masquerading as a band-aid for a broken healthcare system.
Do what you need to for taking care of you and your family. Maxing out an HSA is generally your best option right now. But just keep in mind that this is a system that shouldn’t exist.
some employers contribute to your HSA, such as matching the amount you contribute each paycheck.
when you contribute to your HSA from each paycheck, that amount is not taxed.
it’s possible to withdraw cash at an ATM from your HSA account if you really need it. no one really stops you from doing this. I saw someone buy weed using cash they withdrew this way.
There is also no time limit on bills that are eligible to be paid from HSA. So if you are able to, you can pay out of pocket now, keep a copy of the bill, and cash it in 15 years later.