A bipartisan effort in Congress is underway to address challenges under the Affordable Care Act, potentially including big improvements to your HSA. 

• A stronger HSA is one of several measures Congress is weighing to address rising out-of-pocket medical costs for Americans with health coverage at work, stabilize insurance marketplaces used by those without workplace coverage, and help seniors - both retired and working - to manage medical bills.  

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is a family favorite during the holidays. We can sit back and laugh at the plight of Clark Griswold as he lives out his dream of hosting a good old-fashioned Griswold Family Christmas at his home in Chicago. The shenanigans and accidents that occur in the movie fall just short of any real injuries or emergency room visits, but what is the price tag of each of these near misses if they were carried out to their real-life conclusion? How many times would the family need to seek medical care for their injuries?

We've laid out the accidents and possible treatment plans in detail to show what the out of pocket costs of healthcare might have looked like for the Griswolds. What is the true economic impact of having the whole dysfunctional family over for Christmas? Read and find out.

In 2007, Sammy, an actual HealthEquity member, opened a health savings account (HSA) and contributed $46 the first year. He transferred his account to HealthEquity and started using the investment platform here in 2012. Now, ten years after opening his account, Sammy’s HSA balance is over $100,000.

“The first year, I just sat on the sidelines and looked, and I just kept reading about it,” Sammy said in an interview with HealthEquity. “I came in around 2007. I jumped in very sheepishly … I put in $46, then the next year, I put in a little more and got very confident in the program.”

Sammy is not the only person to have more than $100,000 in his HSA, but his story is unique because he was 55 when he first opened his account. Sammy credits the growth of his HSA to maxing out contributions, actively managing his HSA investments to increase growth potential, and many other things. One of the most important he says, is changing his mindset when it comes to health and finances.

Since HSAs are already tax-advantaged accounts, fees are the largest obstacle to the potential growth of the HSA amounts you are saving for the future. There are a number of different HSA providers in the marketplace and, as a consumer, you need to know where fees may be hiding. Over the long term, it can result in significant losses and missed earnings.

Due to its tax advantages, the IRS has certain rules when it comes to the administration of HSAs. This places HSA providers in a unique position in the marketplace. For the most part, HSA providers want to provide a service to help people, but at the end of the day, they are businesses. And like all businesses, they are established, first and foremost, to make a profit.

Preparing for retirement and old age can be a challenge, but everyone has to start thinking about it at some point in their lives. Many businesses offer retirement plans for employees, but how does an employer choose a plan that not only helps their team members but is also cost-effective and contributes to business goals? The answer might include considering your employees’ health and wealth together. Here’s what we mean: