Triple-tax Savings Make Health Savings Accounts Key Strategy

DANVERS, Mass.—HealthView Services today issued a new report highlighting the importance of saving specifically for health care costs in retirement. The company, which provides health care cost projection software, urges consumers to rethink and maximize the unique triple-tax savings of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

Data from HealthView Services show that an average American couple entering retirement in good health can expect approximately $600,000 in future lifetime health care costs. Yet many do not factor health expenses into their retirement financial planning.

“Americans need to take better advantage of one of the best ways to stretch their retirement savings: the HSA,” said Ron Mastrogiovanni, CEO of HealthView Services. “HSAs have a triple tax benefit – money goes in pre-tax, grows tax-free, and can be withdrawn for health expenses tax-free. As such they are uniquely advantageous and an extremely effective ways to stretch retirement savings.”

In its report, HealthView Services shows that although an HSA is exclusively available to those who participate in a high deductible health plan (HDHP), it should be viewed through the same lens as a retirement financial planning tool like a 401(k) or 403(b) and used only modestly for current year health expenses.

“Employees who can afford to fund the potentially higher out-of-pocket health expenses of an HDHP through their household budget, should set aside as much money as possible under the pretax HSA funding cap: $3,550 in 2020 for individuals and $7,100 for couples. As our report shows, even modest HSA savings today can grow and offset substantial future health costs,” Mastrogiovanni said. “We urge any organization concerned with helping people save for retirement to discuss the HSA in this light.”