In response to the persistent rise in healthcare costs, business owners are increasingly turning to consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) as a viable solution. These plans offer a range of models designed to empower employees by providing them with greater control over their healthcare spending. Typically, consumer-driven health plans encompass Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Each of these components serves to facilitate more efficient healthcare expenditure management, ultimately benefiting both employers and employees.
Consumer-driven health plans generally increase employees’ stake in their own health care costs. In most cases, a consumer-driven health plan covers a wide range of medical expenses, but also includes more cost-sharing for participants (for example, higher deductibles). Some plans incorporate an HRA, health FSA, or HSA to help employees pay for their out-of-pocket expenses on a tax-free basis.
This article provides a complete outline about the similarities and differences between HRAs, FSAs and HSAs so that you can make an inform and thoughtful decision when it comes to choosing the right CDHP for your business and ultimately, your people.
The Difference Between HSA vs FSA vs HRA
1. Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
Due to their tax-favored status, HSAs have strict rules regarding eligibility and contributions. In order to make or receive HSA contributions, individuals must meet the following qualifications.
Who Is Eligible for an HSA?
- Be covered by a high deductible health plan (HDHP)
- Not have any other type of health coverage (with some exceptions)
- Not be claimed as a dependent on another person’s tax return
- Not be covered by Medicare
HSA Contribution Limits and Tax Benefits
The employer and employee can contribute to an HSA in the same year, subject to annual limits. Employers may allow employees to make pre-tax salary reduction contributions to fund their HSAs. Individuals may roll over unspent HSA funds from year to year to help cover future healthcare expenses. Since the HSA is a tax-exempt account owned by the employee, he or she may keep the account upon termination of employment or retirement.
HSA funds can be used to pay for qualified expenses, including dental expenses, vision expenses, and other qualified healthcare expenses that are not covered by traditional health plans. These tax advantages make HSAs a flexible option for managing long-term medical costs.
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Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
Health FSAs provide a means for employees to reduce their federal income tax liability through salary reduction. Employees can contribute a portion of their own salary to an account designated to pay for eligible medical expenses. These pre-tax contributions are exempt from federal income and payroll taxes. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) limits employees’ pre-tax contributions to their health care FSA to $3,200 (adjusted for inflation for future plan years).
There are some strict design requirements for health FSAs that have negatively impacted their popularity. While any individual who satisfies the HSA eligibility criteria can make HSA contributions, only employees can participate in a health care FSA. This means that, while self-employed individuals can establish health FSAs for their employees, they cannot set up their own accounts.
The “Use-It-or-Lose-It” Rule
In addition, FSAs have a “use it or lose it” provision. In general, employees are required to elect a specific amount of salary reduction at the beginning of the year, and then must use every dollar of FSA money by the end of that year. Because annual medical and dental expenses are hard to predict, employees often overfund the accounts and then spend unnecessarily at the end of the year to avoid forfeiting the remaining FSA funds.
FSA Grace Period & Carryover Options
To help avoid this problem, the IRS allows health FSAs to incorporate either a grace period or a carry-over feature. Health FSAs with a grace period allow participants to access unused amounts remaining in an FSA at the end of the plan year to pay for eligible expenses incurred during a grace period of up to two and a half months after the end of the plan year. Alternatively, health FSAs may allow participants to carry over up to $640* of unused funds remaining at the end of a plan year to be paid for qualified medical expenses incurred during the following plan year.
Health FSAs are also subject to a uniform coverage rule, which requires the health care FSA to operate like an insurance plan, with the employer owning the plan and assuming the risk of loss. Under this rule, an employee’s maximum reimbursement amount for a year must be available at any time during the coverage period, even if a reimbursement would exceed the year-to-date contributions to the employee’s FSA.
Health FSAs are group health insurance plans that are subject to laws such as the ACA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs)
HRAs allow employees to use employer contributions to pay for (or reimburse) eligible health care expenses. HRAs can only be funded with employer money; employees cannot make contributions to their HRAs. Unlike health FSAs, unused HRA balances may accumulate from year to year.
There is no specified cap on the amount an employer is allowed to contribute to a Health Reimbursement Account. Also, an HRA is not subject to the uniform coverage rule that applies to health FSAs. However, like health FSAs, only employees can participate in an HRA, which means that self-employed individuals cannot participate in an HRA on a tax-favored basis.
Like health FSAs, HRAs are group health plans that are subject to laws such as HIPAA and COBRA. Under the ACA, most HRAs must be “integrated” with another group health plan to satisfy certain market reforms. However, there are exceptions to this requirement for certain types of HRA designs, including retiree-only HRAs.
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Deciding on the Right Approach
Introducing consumerism into your health plan requires an evaluation of the benefits and disadvantages of HSAs, FSAs, and HRAs. No one solution is right for every employer. If your organization is considering implementing an employee-driven health plan, we can help.
Here is a complete comparison chart for you to get a full analysis of the differences between HSAs, HRAs, and Health FSAs.
Summary
In the face of rising healthcare costs, business owners are increasingly adopting consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) to manage expenses effectively. These plans, including Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs), and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), provide employees with greater control over their healthcare spending. HSAs offer tax benefits and rollover options, FSAs allow for pre-tax contributions with some restrictions, and HRAs are funded solely by employers with no annual cap. Each plan has unique advantages, and we hope you found this article helpful to evaluate these options to make informed decisions that benefit both your business and your employees.
Do you need help choosing between an HSA, FSA, or HRA for your team? Melita Group helps businesses like yours offer the right employee benefit solutions with confidence. Our experts break down the options and support you every step of the way.
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