HSA News for February 9, 2026
HSA news is compiled weekly by Mr. HSA, Roy Ramthun.
News from Washington
About 23M Have Signed Up for ACA Coverage So Far: CMS
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) says about 23 million individuals selected plans across HealthCare.gov and the state-based exchanges. That figure includes close to 3.4 million new enrollees and about 19.6 million returning individuals. By comparison, just shy of 24.2 million people enrolled for the 2025 plan year.
IRS Announces Tax Relief for Taxpayers Impacted by Severe Storms and Flooding in the State of Montana; Various Deadlines Postponed to May 1, 2026
The IRS announced tax relief for individuals and businesses in the State of Montana affected by severe storms and flooding that began on December 10, 2025. These taxpayers now have until May 1, 2026, to file federal individual and business tax returns, make tax payments, and make 2025 contributions to IRAs and HSAs if eligible.
HSA Studies & Analysis
Expect Modest to No ACA Premium Impact from Expanded Pre-Deductible Coverage, Says EBRI
A new analysis from the Employee Benefit Research Institute suggests that more generous coverage for chronic conditions inside HSA-eligible plans may not push premiums as much as some fear, even when expanding pre-deductible coverage to 116 drug classes. EBRI believes many people using those drugs are already high utilizers of care who would meet their deductibles anyway.
Compliance Corner
Spouse's Health FSA Reduces Contributions to Your HSA? Maybe There's a Way . . .
Under federal tax law, a Health FSA automatically covers the employee, the worker's spouse, and children to age 26 (even if they are no longer tax dependents). The only exception is if the employer, as plan sponsor, limits reimbursement to, for example, only the employee's qualified expenses (which is rare). Is there a way around this?
Industry News
Santander to Buy Webster for $12.3B
Banco Santander has agreed to acquire Stamford, Connecticut-based Webster Financial Corporation for $12.3 billion in cash and stock. Under the deal’s terms, $84 billion-asset Webster would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Santander. The deal is expected to close in the second half of the year and awaits regulatory approvals in the U.S. and E.U.
HSAs & Retirement
Are You Missing Out on This ‘Triple-Tax-Free’ Way to Save for Retirement? Pros Say Many of Us Are
To better understand HSAs, it may help to think of it as a healthcare IRA. The biggest mistake is using the HSA like a checking account and spending it all each year, since that can limit how much your savings can grow. After age 65, HSAs allow penalty-free withdrawals for any purpose, subject to ordinary income tax. When used wisely, an HSA can be a long-term asset.
What Is the Ideal HSA Spending Strategy During Your Retirement Years?
Every year in retirement may be different. Some years, you may want to reimburse your medical expenses from taxable distributions and leave your HSA intact. Other years, you may withdraw funds from your HSA to keep your taxable income below the next IRMAA tier. It's best to retain a good financial or retirement planner who understands both HSAs
and optimal tax and financial strategies during the distribution phase of retirement.
HSAs Are Growing Up but Beware of Estate Tax Pitfalls
Despite their growing popularity, HSAs are still widely misunderstood in estate planning conversations. Unlike IRAs or Roth IRAs, HSAs follow very different rules at death, and beneficiary designations matter more than many people realize. When a spouse is named as the beneficiary, the transition is seamless. But the rules change dramatically when the beneficiary is not a spouse.
Maximizing Your HSA
3 Signs You Aren't Making the Most of Your HSA
There's a reason HSAs are such a powerful financial tool. HSAs allow you to save for qualifying healthcare expenses in a tax-advantaged manner. They combine the benefits of traditional and Roth retirement accounts for maximum savings. But it's important to make the most of your account. Here are three signs you may not be doing that.
Workers Over 55 Can Add $1,000 Extra to HSAs Before Medicare Ends Contributions
The HSA contribution limits become even more powerful for workers approaching retirement, as anyone 55 or older can add an extra $1,000 catch-up contribution. Over a decade of maximum contributions, a married couple in their late 50s could accumulate over $100,000 in tax-advantaged healthcare savings before Medicare enrollment ends their contribution eligibility.