As HSAs continue to grow in popularity, more and more employers are considering this option for their employees.
[See also: IRS announces new HSA limits for 2012]
But, while employees may see the benefits to the company for moving to an HSA-qualified plan — a lower price point, the flexibility to adjust HSA contributions in future years, and the potential for better utilization and reduced claims — many business owners worry workers won’t see the value in a plan where they’re responsible for most of their up-front expenses. And, as we all know, perception is reality: if employees don’t think they have a good benefits plan, they don’t, regardless of what the employer is paying.
So how can employers ensure that their employees will appreciate their benefits even after they drop the copays from the plan? The answer, of course, is education and communication — but what should we be communicating? Sure, it’s important that employees know how to access their benefits and utilize the price and quality transparency tools that are available to them, but that alone won’t sell them on the plan.
[See also: Helping employees understand HSAs]
To really convince employees that this is a good solution for them and their families, we need to show them how an HSA is actually better than some other health plans and tax-advantaged accounts they might already be familiar with. Here are a few >>
Better than an FSA
An FSA, which allows employees to set aside tax-free dollars to pay for current-year medical expenses, can be a great option if you know how much you’re going to spend on health care this year, but it does require you to be a bit of a fortune teller. If you guess too low on your medical expenses, you forfeit some of the tax savings you could have enjoyed. If you guess too high, you actually lose some of the money you put into your account. And even if you realize that you messed up, you’re not allowed to change your contribution mid-stream.
In many ways, an HSA is actually more flexible than a flexible spending account. Here are some of the distinctive features:
- HSA contributions are not subject to the irrevocable election rule, so employees are not locked in at their original contribution amount. In fact, employers must allow employees to adjust their contributions on a monthly basis at a minimum.
- HSAs do not have a use-it-or-lose-it rule; instead, it’s a use-it-or-keep-it account. Unused funds roll over from year to year, so employees can stash away money during the good years and use it when they do have a big medical expense.
- HSAs are also individually owned accounts, so employees take the money with them when they leave. And, as a bonus for employers, because HSAs are individually owned, the employer is not responsible for keeping up with expenses – it’s up to the employee to make sure they’re using their accounts for their intended purpose and keeping copies of the receipts.
(photo credit: renjith krishnan/freedigitalphotos.net)
[Next: Better than a 401(k)]
Better than a 401(k)
The beauty of a 401(k) is that employees can deposit funds in their account, get an immediate tax break, and watch their money grow on a tax-deferred basis, earning investment income along the way. They don’t pay taxes on the money until they actually withdraw it from the account.
An HSA is similar. Employees can deposit funds into their account and earn tax-free interest and investment income year after year. But with an HSA, as long as the funds are used for qualified medical expenses, account holders never pay taxes on the money — it’s not a tax-deferred account like an IRA or a 401(k), it’s actually a tax-free account.
At some point, most of us will have medical needs that we can pay for with our HSA, and even those who don’t will have plenty of things to spend their HSA money on as they grow older — like long term care insurance and Medicare Part B premiums. And, once someone reaches age 65, they can actually use their account like an IRA or a 401(k). If they withdraw funds for non-qualified expenses, they’ll pay taxes but no penalty, while qualified expenses are always tax-free.
(photo credit: renjith krishnan/freedigitalphotos.net)
[Next: Better than a raise]