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Tap an HSA to Cover Post-Retirement Medical Expenses

As U.S. health care costs continue to climb to unprecedented heights, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are growing increasingly popular throughout the nation. Created under the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, HSAs allow consumers to use tax-free savings to cover medical costs while giving them more control over their health care coverage.

Attractive features

HSAs offer many valuable advantages. For one, HSA account holders can choose their own doctors and even shop around for the best deal on medical services. Plus, HSAs offer some valuable tax breaks. Contributions to an HSA plan are tax deductible, and there are no taxes on HSA investment growth or withdrawals, so long as the money goes towards qualified medical expenses.

Additionally, unlike Flexible Spending Accounts that have a "use it or lose it" catch, funds in an HSA roll over from one year to the next. This allows HSA owners to accumulate a sizable pool of money over the years which can be later tapped after retirement.

Powerful enough for post-retirement?

While HSAs are powerful plans, the jury is still out on whether these accounts can fund all of a person's post-retirement health care expenses. Most consumers don't realize just how much money they'll need to cover health care expenses after retirement.

Although Medicare helps pay for many senior health care costs, these contributions don't come close to covering all of a retiree's medical expenses. Most seniors end up paying an exorbitant amount of money out of their own pockets.

As a matter of fact, a recent Fidelity Investments study shows that a couple retiring today at the age of 65 would need $225,000 to pay for uncovered health care expenses during their retirement. That figure doesn't even include long-term care expenses. Not to mention that this amount will continue to rise along with inflation-so future retirees will have to pay even more.

Considering these numbers, it's doubtful that an HSA can fund your entire post-retirement health-care tab. However, with some clever planning, you can certainly cover a big portion of your after retirement medical expenses with an HSA.

Here are a few tips for maximizing the power of your HSA:

* Start young: The younger you are when you start contributing to an HSA, the better off you'll be in post-retirement years.
* Don't use HSA funds until after retirement: While you may be tempted to withdraw funds from your HSA to cover current medical expenses, try to find another way to pay for these costs. If you leave these funds in your HSA, you'll accumulate interest and investment returns-which means you'll have more money to cover health care costs in your older years when you need it most.
* Wait until you're 65: Once you turn 65, you can use HSA funds for non-health care expenses as well without paying a penalty. These withdrawals are simply taxed as income, much like funds taken from a 401(k).

While these accounts certainly offer many benefits, an HSA may or may not make sense for you. You may want to talk with a financial professional to determine if an HSA could help you fund post-retirement medical expenses.