Millennials, HDHPs and HSAs

Popular with Millennials, HDHPs paired with HSAs can help employers improve employee satisfaction with healthcare benefits. Millennials are Embracing HDHPs Millennials are active supporters of consumer-directed healthcare. Now in their late 20s through early 40s, they tend to be healthier than their older workforce peers (Gen X and Baby Boomer generations) and, on average, spend less on healthcare costs. Nearly half of Millennials who are eligible for an HSA through their employer are adopting one.

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What is an HSA?

An HSA is a health benefits account that provides tax advantages, where participants can deposit a portion of their income before payroll taxes are deducted. To be eligible for an HSA, the account holder must be actively enrolled in an HDHP. The maximum contribution limit, which determines the amount individuals can set aside each plan year, varies depending on whether they have single coverage or family coverage.

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6 Things to Know About HSAs

Many employers embrace HSA-eligible, High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) to reduce premium costs, pairing them with Health Savings Accounts. While the primary intent of HSAs was to help reduce the cost of healthcare through tax-free contributions, earnings, and withdrawals, they also offer less well-known benefits. Here are six additional ways HSAs can help account owners make the most of their tax-advantaged savings. No Reimbursement Deadlines HSA account owners can receive reimbursements for eligible expenses at ANY

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Investing HSA Funds – The Key to Substantial Growth

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are popular, tax-advantaged savings accounts designed to help people with High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) pay for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. HSA accounts have seen substantial growth since their introduction in 2004. Devenir’s mid-year 2022 update reports that nearly $99 billion in assets were held in almost 34 million HSA accounts. There are many reasons why HSAs have become so popular. One great attraction is that holders own HSAs for the life

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10 Things to Know about HSAs

Unlike an FSA or an HRA, both of which are owned by the employer, HSAs are owned by the individual. This means that the account owner funds the HSA, spends the money (within IRS regulations), earns interest, and chooses whether or not to invest the money. Most importantly, the individual keeps the account (HSA portability) should their employment status change due to job loss, changing company, or retirement. Employers may also choose to contribute to the HSA, but the account owner keeps the funds.

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Workplace Eye Health and Benefits

Did you know that the average office worker spends 1,700 hours in front of a computer screen every year? That’s what the contact lens manufacturer Acuvue found in a study on screen time they sponsored a few years ago. And that only accounted for computer screens, not those of phones, tablets, etc. With an uptick in complaints about eye strain, dry eye, headache and insomnia, it’s a great time for employers to review the eye

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New Preventive Care and Screening Guidelines Reduce Out-of-Pocket Expenses for Women and Children

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced new preventive care and screening guidelines aimed at reducing out-of-pocket expenses for women, infants, children, and adolescents. The new guidelines take effect for plan years beginning in 2023. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), certain group health plans and insurance issuers must provide coverage for preventive health services with no out-of-pocket cost. More than 150 million

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HSA Accounts Continue to Grow

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) were introduced in 2003 as a way to help individuals offset high deductible health plan (HDHP) costs. Since then, they have grown steadily in both the number of accounts and account assets. Yet, despite appealing across demographic groups, HSAs still aren’t as well understood or utilized as 401k plans or IRAs. To some degree the accounts remain an untapped market. As such, growth of HSA accounts may continue exponentially with sufficient

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No Surprises Act: Making Healthcare Costs More Transparent

More than a third of employees in a recent survey said that the medical bills they receive after seeking care are “always or usually” a surprise to them. Yet, 28% say they pay them anyway because they don’t want to fight with the insurance company. What causes surprise medical billings? Insurance plans cover large portions of medical care, but deductibles or co-pays may come into play. Out-of-network providers may charge more for a service than

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Where We Are: COVID-19 Relief and Health Plans

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, many relief measures have been enacted, from stimulus payments to extended deadlines to COBRA subsidies. Keeping up with these relief measures, how long they apply and what employers need to do to stay compliant can be most challenging. With expiration dates right around the corner, it’s important to know what’s coming in terms of COVID-19 relief and health plans. But before we get into that, how did we get here to

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