Health Spending Accounts

Would you like to have more control over where your health care dollars go and get tax savings, too? Then consumer-directed health care might be for you. “Consumer directed” means you manage more of the money you spend—and save—on medical expenses, using health spending accounts. 

The basics

Here’s how it works. A health spending account like an HSA (health savings account), health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) or flexible spending account (FSA), is paired with a qualifying health insurance plan. The money put into these accounts is used to pay for qualified medical expenses. There are two ways you benefit from this combination.

• You pay less for health insurance. Consumer-directed health insurance plans usually cost less per month than other plans.
• You get a break on taxes. Money that goes into these special accounts is either tax deductible or not taxed at all. Money taken out to pay for medical expenses is tax exempt.

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