HSA News for November 2, 2026
HSA news is compiled weekly by Mr. HSA, Roy Ramthun.
Compliance Corner
How Do Deductible Credits Affect Eligibility to Contribute to an HSA?
Deductible credits are not common. They do occur, however, and they can be a compliance issue. Be sure you understand that when the deductible-tracking period is longer than 12 months, the statutory minimum annual deductible must be adjusted.
Are Health Savings Accounts a Problem? Or an Opportunity?
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has added a new installment in its criticism of HSAs. Although our current healthcare market structure and coverage are not ideal, and insurance premiums and medical services are expensive, HSAs make both coverage and care less, not more, expensive. That is the very definition of increased affordability.
HSA Studies & Analysis
Group Health Costs Are Rising – So Why Are HSAs Sitting in Cash?
Healthcare costs are rising and most Americans with an HSA are doing nothing about it. Only about 11 percent of all HSA holders held invested assets as of June 30, 2026. The remaining 89 percent are parked in deposits, eroding in real terms against a healthcare inflation rate that is nearly three times the economy-wide average. Sitting in cash is actually a risk.
Congress Should Remove the Barriers to Direct Primary Care
Congress recently made it easier for Americans to pay their doctors directly. But federal rules still prevent their health insurance from counting those payments toward a patient's deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. Congress should give patients and insurers more freedom to design plans around DPC.
Market Trends
Health Insurance Costs Are Soaring. Here Are 6 Ways To Outsmart Them
Americans shopping for health insurance this fall may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Premiums are rising, deductibles are climbing and some families are discovering that the coverage they relied on last year is becoming increasingly difficult to afford. There are alternatives worth exploring, from membership-based primary care and catastrophic insurance to high deductible health plans paired with Health Savings Accounts.
Employers Swap GLP-1 Coverage for Self-Pay, Coaching and HSA Options
According to a new survey, fewer large US employers are covering GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, and plan sponsors are shifting to cheaper alternatives as 2027 open enrollment begins. Several routes plan sponsors are taking include direct-to-consumer programs, direct to employer reimbursement, weight management programs, and FSAs or HSAs.
HSAs & Retirement
New AARP Report: Caregiver Out-of-Pocket Spending Rises 59 Percent
For family caregivers, everyday purchases and unexpected bills can steadily eat into their own household budget. Those costs have grown sharply over the past five years. A new report from AARP finds that family caregivers spend an average of $11,508 a year supporting a family member or friend, up 59 percent from $7,242 in 2021.
Open Enrollment Is a Chance to Get This ‘Sneaky-Good’ Investment Account That Can Be ‘Better Than a Roth’
With open enrollment season getting underway, HSAs are worth considering for more than just paying medical bills. That’s because you can invest the money in an HSA and let it grow for decades, with tax advantages that can make the account an especially powerful way to save for retirement. HSAs are “sneaky-good and very underrated” tools.
Retirement Healthcare Costs: Advisors Push HSAs to Fill Medicare Gaps
Only 16% of Americans say they feel very knowledgeable about what healthcare will cost them in retirement, according to one survey. Increasingly, advisors are singling HSAs to help plan for healthcare expenses in retirement, especially gaps in Medicare coverage.
Important Guidance for Clients Transitioning to Retirement and Medicare
Medicare is complicated. What is covered, by which of its parts, when and how much, is a maze of confusing rules to many Americans. The penalties for not getting it right can be financially painful. Most advisors have a good understanding of the high-level costs of healthcare in retirement, like tax impacts on premiums and the best use of tools like HSAs as protection against future medical costs.
Maximizing Your HSA
Buying Your Own Health Insurance? Bronze and Catastrophic Plans Now Open the Door to HSAs
If you run a small business or work for yourself, you may be preparing for Affordable Care Act marketplace open enrollment this fall. Don’t forget that enrollment in any Bronze or Catastrophic plan through the ACA marketplace makes an individual eligible to contribute to a Health Savings Account.
Are You HSA-Maxxing?
Although I’m a retirement reporter and I’m saving for retirement, there’s one place where I’m falling short, or at least, failing to optimize: I am spending down my health savings account on current medical bills. Are you doing the same?
Tips for Beginners and the Most Seasoned HSA Investor
Are you an HSA investor? If you are, then you’ve heard about its investment potential, and you’ve read that an HSA has retirement-planning perks that a 401(k) and IRA don’t have. And you’re investing to grow your funds so they increase at a much higher rate. But even the most savvy investors can get more out of their accounts.