What Happens to Your HSA if You Switch from an HDHP to a PPO Health Plan?

Health savings accounts (HSAs) are a powerful savings tool and provide valuable tax benefits when paired with a high deductible health plan (HDHP). However, life circumstances may lead you to switch from an HDHP/HSA combo to a more traditional preferred provider organization (PPO) health plan.

If this happens, you may be wondering – what happens to my HSA when I’m no longer enrolled in an HDHP? Can I still contribute? How can I use the funds?

This article will walk through what occurs when you transition from an HDHP/HSA to a PPO, including:

• HSA eligibility rules
• Making contributions after leaving an HDHP
• Using HSA funds after switching plans
• Investing your HSA money
• Strategies for getting the most out of your account

Understanding the specifics will ensure you continue benefiting from your hard-earned HSA, even after moving to a PPO.

HSA Eligibility When Switching from an HDHP

HSAs have certain eligibility requirements set by the IRS. The key criteria are:

• You must be enrolled in an HDHP
• Cannot be covered under any other non-HDHP health plan
• Cannot be enrolled in Medicare
• Cannot be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return

These requirements to contribute to an HSA go away once you discontinue your HDHP coverage.

However, you still retain ownership of your HSA account and can use the funds tax-free for qualified medical expenses. You just can no longer make new contributions after leaving an HDHP.

Some key rules:

• If you have a positive HSA balance, keep your account open. Do not cash it out when leaving your HDHP.

• Make sure you spend all the HSA contributions made for the year you left the HDHP. You do not want excess contributions which lead to tax headaches.

• Understand how leaving your HDHP mid-year affects your allowable HSA contributions for tax purposes.

With the proper planning, you can continue enjoying your HSA even after transitioning to another health plan like a PPO.

Contributing to Your HSA After Switching Health Plans

As mentioned above, you must remain enrolled in an HDHP to contribute new funds to an HSA.

Some specifics on how switching health plans affects HSA contributions:

• Any contributions made while HDHP-enrolled stay in your account. This includes monthly employer contributions and any funds you directly deposited.

• You can no longer contribute once your HDHP enrollment ends. This includes both new employer and personal contributions.

• Use up your full annual contribution for the year you left the HDHP. If you leave mid-year, you likely contributed less than the annual maximum. Make sure no excess funds remain.

• You can make HSA catch-up contributions after 65 even if not on an HDHP. If you left your HDHP after age 65, you can still make the extra $1,000 catch-up deposit if you had not maxed it out for the year.

• If you enroll in another HDHP later, you can begin contributing again. Your eligibility to contribute is turned “off” when you leave an HDHP, but can be turned back “on” if you re-enroll in the future.

• Avoid excess contributions to prevent tax penalties. Carefully calculate your prorated maximum contributions for the year you discontinued your HDHP coverage.

With proper planning when transitioning health plans, you can avoid any tax ramifications and retain access to your HSA funds.

Using HSA Funds After Switching to a PPO

The most important thing to remember is that you remain the owner of your HSA even after leaving your HDHP. Any funds already in your account remain yours to use tax-free for qualified medical expenses.

Here are some key points on using your HSA after switching to a PPO:

• You can continue withdrawing funds for qualified medical purchases. This includes health plan deductibles, copays, dental expenses, vision care and more. The funds are always tax-free.

• Hold onto your receipts. Keep documentation proving your HSA withdrawals are for eligible expenses, in case you ever need to validate to the IRS.

• Avoid non-medical withdrawals. If you use HSA funds for non-medical reasons before age 65, you’ll pay income tax plus a 20% penalty.

• You can use your HSA for Medicare expenses and premiums once you turn 65, even if you’ve enrolled in Medicare before then. At 65, you can also use your HSA as supplemental retirement income by taking non-medical withdrawals (which are taxed but avoid the early withdrawal penalty).

• Accumulate receipts for future withdrawals. You can save receipts today and make tax-free withdrawals years later when funds are actually needed. HSAs have no time limit for collecting receipts.

The key is understanding you still own your HSA and the money is always yours to use tax-free for medical purposes, even if no longer contributing.

Investing Your HSA Funds After Leaving an HDHP

Once your HSA balance reaches the investment threshold set by your account trustee or custodian, you can invest your funds for added growth potential.

Some tips for HSA investing after leaving an HDHP behind:

• Continue managing your investment selections. Your HSA does not become restricted to just a savings account after you switch health plans. You can still choose stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc.

• Research your custodian’s fees. Some charge higher asset management or investment fees if you are no longer actively contributing. Understand the costs.

• Consolidate accounts if needed. Rolling over your HSA to a new custodian could provide access to better investment options or lower fees.

• Develop an investment strategy. Withdrawals for medical expenses will reduce your invested balance over time. Factor this into your investment allocation decisions.

• Treat your HSA like a retirement account. Use time horizon, risk tolerance and other factors to create appropriate HSA investment mix.

HSAs are among the most flexible savings accounts, even after you leave an HDHP. Take advantage by maximizing investment earnings on your accumulated balances.

Strategies for Getting the Most Out of Your HSA

Switching from an HDHP/HSA to a PPO does not mean you need to forfeit or waste the HSA funds you’ve worked hard to build up.

Some savvy strategies for optimizing your HSA over the long-run after a health plan change:

• Do not cash out your HSA. Closing the account results in taxes and penalties. Keep it open for continual tax-advantaged growth.

• Manage excess contributions. Avoid excess money in your HSA for the year you discontinued the HDHP. Withdraw any overages before tax deadlines.

• Treat it like an ongoing retirement account. Let your HSA keep accumulating and use it for medical expenses in retirement. The tax-free benefits continue.

• Keep accumulating medical receipts. Build up a backlog of eligible medical expenses now to reimburse yourself tax-free in the future as needed.

• Use for Medicare premiums and expenses later. Upon turning 65, use your HSA to pay Medicare Parts B, D and Medicare Advantage premiums along with other out-of-pocket costs.

• Invest for added growth. Keep contributing what you can and maximize potential returns through prudent investing for higher long-term balances.

With proper management, you can optimize your HSA even after transitioning away from an HDHP health plan.

Key Takeaways

• You can no longer contribute to your HSA after leaving an HDHP, but can still use the tax-free funds.
• Avoid excess contributions for the year you discontinued your HDHP coverage.
• Keep your HSA open and continue using it for medical expenses tax-free.
• Once you turn 65, you can also take non-medical withdrawals without penalties.
• Manage investments carefully and use smart strategies to maximize growth.