Blog
Summer Update
“[These] tests are a qualified expense . . . only to the extent that the testing is for medical purposes . . . rather than learning whether you’re related to Leif Erickson or want to pull the “family-discount” card when ordering a bottle of Sam Adams.” William G. (Bill) Stuart Director of Strategy and Compliance.. Read more
Sorting through Reform Proposals
“The leading Medicare for All bills in the House and Senate phases out all private coverage within four years. Many debate participants eagerly raised their hands when asked in a debate whether their vision is a program that eliminate private insurers. That’s a big deal, since private insurers cover more than 200 million Americans.” William.. Read more
HSAs for Medicare Enrollees? Maybe
“Retirees who already own an HSA can continue to contribute to their accounts, and those who have never had an opportunity to open an HSA can do so . . This means that 58 million retirees will feel less pressure from the financial vise. And leave them with more funds to receive the high-value care.. Read more
Exploring the ICHRA, Part II
“ICHRAs alter the distribution model from wholesale (employer-sponsored, or group, coverage) to retail (nongroup coverage). It’s far more efficient and less costly for insurers to make a sale to one group of 100 employees than to four groups of 25. Changing the ratio of group to nongroup sales alters not only cost structure, but also.. Read more
Exploring the ICHRA, Part I
“But what happens when the company no longer sponsors insurance, but rather provides a stipend? Employees need to know where to go to find coverage.” William G. (Bill) Stuart Director of Strategy and Compliance June 28, 2019 Earlier this month, the Trump administration issued guidance establishing two new HRAs – the Individual Coverage HRA.. Read more
A Virtual HSA Discussion
“True, HSA contributions limits by themselves are inadequate to fund a comfortable retirement. But no one seriously suggests using an HSA alone to fund retirement.” William G. (Bill) Stuart Director of Strategy and Compliance June 13, 2019 I’m a big fan of LinkedIn. Used properly, LinkedIn can be a very effective career-building tool. Here are.. Read more
HSA Enrollment Tips and Traps
“If you’re enrolled in any Part of Medicare, you can’t open an HSA if you don’t already have one, and you can no longer make or receive contributions to an HSA – even if you remain covered on your employer’s HSA-qualified plan and your employer contributes to every eligible employee’s HSA.” William G. (Bill) Stuart.. Read more
A Dangerous Intersection
” [Y]ou may have to pay a permanent premium surcharge if you don’t’ enroll when you’re first eligible. But you may not. And it may make sense to incur future penalties in exchange for immediate financial benefits” William G. (Bill) Stuart Director of Strategy and Compliance May 23, 2019 Readers of this column know that.. Read more
The Role of an HSA
in Retirement
“You are the CEO of your retirement. CEOs make the critical decisions on how today’s resources are spent so that a business continues to operate well into the future. You must view your HSA in the same manner.” William G. (Bill) Stuart Director of Strategy and Compliance May 2, 2019 The premise of my new.. Read more
Using an HSA to Reduce Future IRA Taxes
“The good news is that the federal government is running a well advertised sale on federal income taxes. . . . Thus, a rollover now will cost you less than it would before 2018, since marginal tax rates are lower.” William G. (Bill) Stuart Director of Strategy and Compliance April 18, 2019 Most Americans don’t.. Read more
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