For employers interested in learning more about Health Savings Accounts and what experiences people are having with them, see the GAO’s “Early Enrollee Experiences with Health Savings Accounts and Eligible Health Plans.” Excerpt:
Just over half of all HSA-eligible plan enrollees and most employers contributed to HSAs, and account holders used their HSA funds to pay for current medical care and to accumulate savings. About 55 percent of HSA-eligible plan enrollees reported HSA contributions to IRS in 2004. Tax filers claimed an average deduction of about $2,100 for their HSA contributions in 2004, and the average amount increased with income. About two-thirds of employers offering HSA-eligible plans contributed to their employees’ HSAs, and the average employer HSA contribution was about $1,064 in 2004. About 45 percent of tax filers reporting 2004 HSA contributions also reported that they withdrew funds in 2004, and 90 percent of these funds were withdrawn for qualified medical expenses. The other 55 percent of those reporting HSA contributions in 2004 did not withdraw any funds from their HSA in 2004.
KaiserNetwork.org reports on the study here.