After the PPACA was signed into law, questions started to come up regarding the impact of the law on HDHPs and HSAs. People wondered if HSA-qualified plans would still be available within the confines of being ACA-compliant, and there was plenty of confusion as far as how high deductible plans would fare. Now that we’re just a month away from the opening of the exchanges and four months away from ACA-compliant plans being effective, it’s clear that HDHPs and HSAs will continue to be available in 2014.
They may even become more popular than they currently are, as they will likely attract people who would otherwise buy plans with out-of-pocket limits too high to be HSA-qualified. The out-of-pocket limits on individual plans starting in 2014 will be equal to the out-of-pocket limits on HSA-qualified plans, so there will likely be HSA-qualified plans available in all of the state exchanges. Out-of-pocket limits that exceed that amount – for example, $10,000 individual deductibles – will no longer be allowed on any policies, which will make HSA-qualified plans a popular choice for people who want to keep their premiums as low as possible.
The IRS has set the HSA contribution limits for 2014:
Individual = $3300 and Family = $6550
These limits reflect a small increase ($50 and $100, respectively) over the 2013 limits.
The IRS kept minimum deductible amounts for HSA-qualified health insurance plans the same ($1250 for individual coverage, and $2500 for family coverage), but the maximum allowable out-of-pocket on HSA-qualified health insurance plans in 2014 will increase slightly, to $6350 for an individual and $12,700 for a family (up $100 and $200 respectively from 2013).
