In the most recent sign that special COVID-19 benefit plan rules are drawing to a close, last Friday, the IRS issued Notice 2023-37, which clarifies the scope of COVID-19 testing and treatment that can be provided on a pre-deductible basis under a high deductible health plan (HDHP) without impacting a participant’s ability to contribute to a health savings account (HSA). As a reminder, if an HDHP covers medical items and services before the participant satisfies the IRS minimum deductible (self-only or family), that coverage may disqualify the participant’s HSA contributions. Notice 2023-37 can be downloaded here.
HSA
A New Normal? Omnibus Bill Extends High Deductible Health Plan Telehealth Safe Harbor
By Katrina McCann & Jesse T. Foley on
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (“CAA 2023”), signed into law on December 29, introduced sweeping reforms to the employee benefits landscape. Not only do the CAA 2023’s “SECURE 2.0” provisions make some significant changes for retirement plans, but CAA 2023 also extends the telehealth plan safe harbor for high-deductible health plans (“HDHPs”) that…
Congress Reopens Door For HSA With No-Deductible Telehealth, But With a Hole
By Aaron Weiss & Seth Safra on
Effective April 1, 2022, high-deductible health plans can once again offer first-dollar coverage for telehealth and other remote services without making participants ineligible for health savings account (“HSA”) contributions. The relief runs only through the end of 2022, and the regular high-deductible health plan requirements generally apply for the months of January through March 2022. …
IRS Loosens HSA Rules for Coronavirus
By Seth Safra on
On March 11, 2020, the IRS issued Notice 2020-15, to address an important coronavirus issue for high-deductible health plans that are coordinated with health savings accounts (“HSAs”). The guidance paves the way for health plans to waive or reduce deductibles for any “medical care services and items purchased relating to testing for and treatment of…
IRS Announces HSA and HDHP Limitations for 2020
By Damian A. Myers on
On May 28, 2019, the IRS released Revenue Procedure 2019-25 setting dollar limitations for health savings accounts (HSAs) and high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) for 2020. HSAs are subject to annual aggregate contribution limits (i.e., employee and dependent contributions plus employer contributions). HSA participants age 55 or older can contribute additional catch-up contributions. Additionally, in order…
IRS Expands Rules for Returning Mistaken HSA Contributions
By Steven Weinstein on
In Notice 2008-59, the IRS provided certain limited exceptions to its previously stated general position that employers may not recoup any portion of the employer’s contribution to an HSA. Specifically, Notice 2008-59 provided that an employer may recover amounts that it contributes to an HSA account if: (i) the employee for whom the contribution was…
IRS Announces HSA and HDHP Limitations for 2019
By Damian A. Myers on
On May 10, 2018, the IRS released Revenue Procedure 2018-30 setting dollar limitations for health savings accounts (HSAs) and high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) for 2019. HSAs are subject to annual aggregate contribution limits (i.e., employee and dependent contributions plus employer contributions). HSA participants age 55 or older can contribute additional catch-up contributions. Additionally, in order…
IRS Transition Relief Reinstates $6,900 Family Limit for 2018 HSAs
By Damian A. Myers on
On April 26th, the IRS released Rev. Proc. 2018-27, effectively reinstating a $6,900 limit on 2018 health savings account (“HSA”) contributions for family coverage. This is welcome relief for individuals who planned on contributing the maximum permitted HSA contributions for 2018 as well as employers who offer plans that facilitate these contributions.…
IRS Reduces 2018 Health Savings Account Limit for Family Coverage
By Damian A. Myers on
On March 5, 2018, the IRS released Revenue Procedure 2018-18, which, among other things, adjusts downward the 2018 total contribution limit to health savings accounts (HSAs) for individuals enrolled in family coverage. In late 2017, the IRS announced that the 2018 HSA limit for individuals enrolled in family coverage would be $6,900. The recently…
Reminder: ACA’s Out-of-Pocket Limits Differ from HSA-Qualified HDHPs Starting in 2015
By Paul M. Hamburger & Stacy Barrow on
In April, the IRS released the 2015 inflation adjustments for Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and HSA-qualified high deductible health plans (HDHPs). A month earlier, HHS released details on the “premium adjustment percentage,” which is used to calculate annual increases in cost sharing under the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) maximum out-of-pocket rules. These ACA rules limit participant cost-sharing under non-grandfathered group health plans for covered, in-network essential health benefits.
For plan years beginning in 2014, the ACA’s maximum out-of-pocket limits were tied to the out-of-pocket limits established for HDHPs. That caused some to assume that the ACA maximum out-of-pocket limits and the HDHP limit would always be the same. But they aren’t. Under the ACA, HHS is required to use a different methodology for calculating any annual adjustments than the IRS uses for HDHPs. Therefore, starting in 2015, the two limits will begin to differ as shown in the first table below. The second table contains other inflation adjustments for HSAs and HDHPs. In both tables, figures are shown single/family.