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#573468 - 06/23/06 01:29 PM Authorized Signers for Health Savings Accounts
Grizilda Offline
New Poster
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5
One financial institution is of the opinion that because HSAs are individual accounts, HSAs coded "Family" do not allow the accountholder to list his spouse as an authorized user of the account; being assigned a checkcard & the authority to write checks on the account. The second financial institution opens the account as an individual account but because it is a "Family" HSA does allow the HSA owner to name the spouse as an authorized user of the account. Which is correct?

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#573469 - 06/23/06 02:46 PM Re: Authorized Signers for Health Savings Accounts
Bear Collector, CRCM Offline
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Bear Collector, CRCM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,830
District of Columbia
"Family " plans refer to whether the deductible on the high-deductible health plan is individual or family.
From Treasury's Q&A:

Can couples establish a “joint” account and both make contributions to the account, including “catch-up” contributions?
“ Joint” HSA accounts are not permitted. Each spouse should consider establishing an account in their own name. This allows you to both make catch-up contributions when each spouse is 55 or older.

Must couples open separate accounts?
If both husband and wife are eligible to contribute to an HSA, they are both eligible to establish separate HSAs. However, if both spouses want to make “catch-up” contributions when they are age 55+, they must establish separate accounts.
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#573470 - 06/23/06 04:29 PM Re: Authorized Signers for Health Savings Accounts
Grizilda Offline
New Poster
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5
I understand that each may open an account. However if only one chooses to open an account, can the spouse be added for the sake of convenience as an authorized signer. The spouse would not be a joint owner but would be issued a checkcard for access. Is this permissible?

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#573471 - 06/23/06 07:05 PM Re: Authorized Signers for Health Savings Accounts
eriktjohnson Offline
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 39
West Michigan
I believe that it is. An account holder may use their HSA funds to pay for a spouse's qualified expenses, so if your institution wants to make it easier for the customer and issue the spouse their own access device, I don't see why you couldn't.

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#1242654 - 09/01/09 02:51 PM Re: Authorized Signers for Health Savings Accounts eriktjohnson
QCL Offline
Power Poster
QCL
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 6,259
NW IL
Can I add to this post? Regarding "family" high-deductible health plans...the question has been asked about the "catch-up" contributions.

This is all that I found at the IRS site:

If both spouses are 55 and older, can both spouses make “catch-up” contributions?
Yes, if both spouses are eligible individuals and both spouses have established an HSA in their name. If only one spouse has an HSA in their name, only that spouse can make a “catch-up” contribution.


My question is this. We have husband and wife. Husband carries the family high-deductible health plan. Can both make catch-up contributions?

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