1. It’s a tax-savings trifecta! With an HSA, you save on taxes three ways:
   • The money you contribute to your HSA is made on a pretax basis, before federal and state¹ taxes are calculated. Maximum contribution amounts are based on IRS limits set each year.
   • Your HSA account can grow tax-free.
   • You don’t pay taxes on money you take out of your HSA to pay for qualified health care expenses.
2. Your HSA belongs to you – always. Your account balance is yours to keep and use. It remains yours even if you leave BAE Systems, and there’s no use-it-or-lose-it rule like the one with FSAs. As a result, you can use the HSA to save for future health expenses, including those in retirement.
3. Catch up on savings! If you are age 55 or older, you can save even more in your HSA. The IRS also sets annual limits for additional contributions for this age group.
4. Once your HSA account balance reaches $1,000, you can invest your money in a variety of investment options to help your savings grow.

Are you eligible to contribute to an HSA?

If any of these situations apply to you, you are not eligible to contribute to an HSA that year:

• I will be covered by Medicare or TRICARE.
• I will be covered by another non-high deductible plan (a plan with a deductible less than $1,600 / $3,200 in 2024 or $1,650 / $3,300 in 2025).
• I will receive reimbursements for medical expenses from someone else’s general purpose flexible spending account.
• I will be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return.

Special note: You are still eligible to contribute to an HSA if you are not covered by Medicare but your spouse is.

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If you’re enrolled in the HSA Primary or HSA Plus plan and you are eligible to contribute to an HSA, you can make pretax* contributions to your account. The IRS limits how much can be contributed to your account each year from all sources, and the amount you can contribute varies depending on if you enroll just yourself in medical benefits with individual coverage, or if you cover your dependents through family coverage. If you are new to one of our HSA plans, an HSA account will be opened for you if you don’t already have one.

Keep in mind that you can change your personal HSA contribution amounts throughout the year as long as you don’t exceed the annual IRS limits. If you are or will turn age 55 during the year, you can contribute an additional amount as allowed by the IRS. Here's a look at the 2024 and 2025 contribution amounts and IRS limits.

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Manage your account online through Smart-Choice Accounts, a website you access through BenefitsNavigator that lets you check your balance, submit a claim for reimbursement, check claim reimbursement status, etc., online at any time.

Pay for expenses directly from your HSA with your Smart-Choice card (a debit card) that you’ll receive shortly after enrolling. After receiving medical services, you will receive an Explanation of Benefits from Cigna showing the portion of the provider’s bill that you’re responsible for paying. You can use your Smart-Choice card to make a payment directly from your HSA to the provider.

Tip: Keep receipts for any expenses you pay with your HSA. A good practice is to store them with the same year’s tax return information, in case you are audited by the IRS.

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Restrictions on Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) participation

While enrolled in an HSA-compatible plan, you can participate only in a Limited Purpose FSA that can be used to pay only dental and vision expenses, not medical expenses.

Not eligible to contribute to an HSA?

If you plan to enroll or are currently enrolled in Medicare, or enrolled in TRICARE, you are not eligible to contribute to an HSA. However, you are eligible to enroll in a full Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) instead of a Limited Purpose FSA. This means that you will be able to use your FSA funds for qualified expenses such as medical, dental, vision, and prescriptions.

Qualified expenses

Make sure you use your HSA only for qualified expenses for you and eligible family members. If you use your HSA to pay nonqualified expenses, you’ll pay taxes plus an additional 20% penalty if you’re under age 65.

Eligible dependents

You can use your HSA balance to pay for expenses for yourself and certain family members (for example, a child who can be claimed as a dependent on your tax return). Keep in mind that while you can cover adult children (up to age 26) on your health plan, they may not be considered dependents for HSA purposes, and you might not be able to use your HSA balance dollars to pay for services provided to that child.

Withdrawals after age 65

After you reach age 65 or become disabled, you may withdraw money from your HSA for nonmedical purposes without penalty. These withdrawals will be subject to normal income taxes.

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