Your money is important. When it comes to spending money on your health, there are a few different ways you can save your hard-earned dollars! At Longtin Agency, we partner with a dependable Minnesota based company named Further to help you spend and save wisely. See below for some basic information on two of the most common ways to save, either as an employer looking to provide benefits for your employees, or as an individual looking to save money.
Other options are also available! Give our expert staff call at 218-281-1970, OR
HSA
A health savings account (HSA) is a tax-advantaged savings account that you can use for medical expenses. It is paired with a qualifying health insurance plan; typically a high deductible health plan (HDHP). An HDHP is a plan that offers lower monthly premiums in exchange for a higher deductible (the amount you pay out of pocket before insurance kicks in).
There are several benefits of an HSA, including:
Your payroll contributions are made with pretax dollars, which may help lower your tax bill.
- The funds in your account do not expire at the end of the year. You can keep them as long as you want to.
- The funds in your account are yours to keep even if you change jobs.
- Using the account is easy. Most HSAs will issue a debit card to you. If you use the debit card to immediately pay for your eligible medical expenses, you won't have to go through a reimbursement process.
Health care costs have escalated at a rapid rate over the past decade. According to Aon Hewitt’s Health Value Initiative database, average health care costs topped $11,000 in 2015, and employees' share of health care costs have increased more than 134% since 2005, going from $2,001 to $4,698 in that 10-year period.
HSA
A Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) is a medical spending account that is entirely funded by an employer. An HRA reimburses employees and their families for eligible medical expenses. Employers decide what types of expenses are considered eligible.
An HRA is owned by the employer. You don't put your own money into the account. The money isn't considered part of your income. You don't pay taxes on the money in the account nor when you are reimbursed with money from the account.
Your employer or benefits administrator provides details about which expenses are eligible for reimbursement.
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