Health Savings for Seniors Act Reintroduced in House

Representatives Ami Bera (D-CA) and Jason Smith (R-MO) have reintroduced the “Health Savings for Seniors Act” (H.R. 3796) to permit those enrolled in Medicare to contribute to a health savings account (HSA). Pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code (the Code), an individual is eligible to contribute to an HSA if, among other things, the individual is not a participant in Medicare. The Act would amend the Code to remove this restriction if the individual is enrolled in a Medicare plan that has an annual deductible of $1,000 for self-only coverage and $2,000 for family coverage and the annual deductible plus the annual out-of-pocket expenses does not exceed $5,000 for self-only coverage and $10,000 for family coverage. The Act would also amend the Code to prohibit use of HSA funds to pay for Medicare premiums and any Medicare enrollee would be allowed to spend HSA funds only on medical expenses. Currently, individuals with an HSA account are able to spend the HSA contributions for any purpose, including medical expenses, once the individual turns 65, regardless of Medicare enrollment.