HSA Eligibility Help
- Covered under a high deductible health plan (HDHP) on the first day of the month
- Generally not covered by any health plan that is not an HDHP (exceptions exist for coverage that is not part of an HDHP for accidents, disability, dental care, vision care, long-term care, or permitted insurance)
- Not enrolled in Medicare
- Not able to be claimed as a dependent on another person’s tax return
Yes. A network plan is a plan that generally provides more favorable benefits for services provided by its network of providers than for services provided outside the network. When determining if a plan is an HDHP, the out-of-pocket expense limits for services provided outside of a network of preferred providers are disregarded. In other words, if a plan otherwise meets the requirements of an HDHP, but the out-of-pocket expense limits for out-of-network services exceed the maximum annual out-of-pocket expense limits allowed for an HDHP, the plan will still be considered an HDHP.
EXAMPLE: Is the plan described below an HDHP?
Sarah has self-only coverage under her health plan for 2021. She may access services from either a network of preferred providers, or she may choose to receive services from out-of-network providers. When she uses in-network providers, her health plan has a $1,400 deductible and a $7,000 out-of-pocket expense limit. Alternatively, when she accesses services from out-of-network providers, her deductible is $2,000, and her out-of-pocket expense limit is $12,000.
Answer: Yes. Sarah’s plan is an HDHP because it meets the deductible and out-of-pocket expense restrictions for self-only coverage when she uses network providers. Out-of-network provider expenses are disregarded when determining if an individual has an HDHP.