Tax-Free Health Savings For You!

Health Savings Account 2024


Open Enrollment is now closed. If you have questions about your benefits or would like to make changes to your benefits due to a qualified life event, please contact the HR Solution Center at AskHR@virginia.edu.


All active, benefits-eligible employees enrolled in Basic Health are also enrolled in, and must be eligible for, a Health Savings Account (HSA). HSA funds can be used for eligible health care, prescription, dental, and vision expenses. HSA funds roll over each year and are yours to keep for future health care costs.

Takeaways

2023 elections for FSAs and HSAs will NOT automatically carry over to 2024. 

  • If you choose to not complete your Open Enrollment event and you had an HSA, your benefit will be elected with employer contribution, but with $0 employee contribution.
  • If you choose to not complete your Open Enrollment event and you had an FSA, you will not have access to an FSA in 2024.

HSA employee contribution limits have increased for 2024 (please note: limits are combined employee and employer dollars): 

  • Individual - $4,150 (from $3,850 in 2023)
  • Family - $8,300 (from $7,750 in 2023)
  • Catch-up (age 55+) - $1,000 (no change)

NEW: Enjoy these NEW personal video stories that explain how having an HSA influenced the speakers' decisions about selecting a health plan option during Open Enrollment:

Having a baby and choosing Basic Health w/HSA to cover costs

Choosing Basic Health w/HSA while having a cancer diagnosis

Choosing Basic Health w/HSA while having a chronic illness

Action Items

  • Re-Elect Your HSA in Workday
    • To continue your HSA, you must re-elect the program for 2024 during Open Enrollment.
  • Sign Your HSA Terms & Conditions authorization form
    • If you are enrolling in Basic Health for the first time, you will need to agree and submit the required HSA Terms & Conditions authorization form within the Open Enrollment Workday final review/submit window. This form is required for all Basic Health participants in 2024 to verify permission for a new Health Savings Account to open with Fidelity.  
    • Even if you do not want to contribute to an HSA as a first-time Basic participant, you must sign and return the HSA Terms & Conditions authorization form so UVA can deposit its employer contribution. 
  • Spend 100% of FSA Funds Before December 31, 2023
    • If you currently have a Full Healthcare FSA and are switching to Basic Health with an HSA, you must deplete 100% of any remaining funds in your Full FSA before December 31. If you do not, your HSA will not be set up until April and you will miss out on any contributions you would like to make. 
  • Watch for follow-up action items from UVA HR and/or Fidelity
    • Watch for important information via mail and email after Open Enrollment closes from HR and/or from Fidelity to ensure your HSA is opened properly and promptly.
  • Reminder: Anyone with a PO Box as their home address in Workday will have their request to open a health savings account rejected by Fidelity. It is a Patriot Act requirement to have a physical address on file before the HSA can be opened. Please verify your contact information contains your physical address within Workday during Open Enrollment. 

HSA Highlights

  • Used for eligible health care, dental, and vision expenses
  • Balances roll over each year and accrue interest; the account and its assets belong to you, even if you leave UVA
  • Both employees and employers can make pre-tax contributions up to the IRS annual limit. For those age 55 and older, there is an additional catch-up amount allowed.
  • Contributions are accepted starting the month after the bank opens the account. 
  • Can be used with a dental/vision-only Limited Flexible Spending Account (LMT)
  • You can invest your HSA assets in a variety of investment options—including stocks, bonds, and mutual funds—for potential growth of your account over time. Any growth from the investment is tax-free, so long as it is used on eligible medical expenses (You can refer to HSA Instructions in the resources below for details on what is considered eligible)

Eligibility

  • Who is eligible?

    All active, benefits-eligible employees enrolled in Basic Health are required to have an HSA. You must be eligible for an HSA in order to enroll in Basic Health. You are eligible for an HSA if:

    • You are not a wage employee
    • You do not hold a J1 visa
    • You are not enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid, or are listed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return
    • You, or your spouse, do not have a balance in a health care FSA, are part of a FSA grace period, or your plan year is not over
    • You have not received healthcare benefits from the Veterans Administration (TRICARE) within the last 3 months
    • You will not be enrolled in another healthcare plan as a dependent, spouse, or subscriber (unless if that plan is also a high deductible health plan) when the HSA begins.
    • You have not already contributed the annual federal limit to another HSA, Medical Savings Account (MSA), or HRA in the same calendar year
  • Switching from an FSA to an HSA

    If you are switching from Value Health or Choice Health to Basic Health and you have a Full Healthcare FSA, then you will be closing your FSA. You will need to have a balance of $0.00 in your Full FSA by December 31 to open your HSA. Otherwise:

    • Your HSA cannot be opened, and you will not be able to make employee contributions until April 1, 2024.
    • You will not be able to use money in your account to cover any expenses incurred prior to April 1, 2024.
  • Limited Flexible Spending Accounts

    If you are enrolled in a Health Savings Account, you are not eligible for a Full Healthcare Flexible Spending Account, but you can enroll in a Limited and/or Dependent Daycare Flexible Spending Account to maximize your savings.

2024 Contributions

Depending on your employee type, UVA may contribute money to your HSA to help offset the higher deductible. You can use HSA dollars to pay for eligible medical, dental, and vision expenses.

  • Employer Contributions

    Depending upon your employee type, the University may contribute to your HSA.

    • Employee only coverage in Basic Health receives a $1,000 annual contribution from UVA
    • Coverage for employee + dependents in Basic Health receives a $1,500 annual contribution 

    Currently, UVA contributes money to open HSA accounts in the UVA Health Savings Account Program for permanent full- and part-time benefits-eligible Academic and Medical Center employees who are enrolled in the UVA Health Plan's Basic Health plan option. Wage employees enrolled in Basic Health are not part of this population. These funds roll over from year to year and are yours to keep and use for eligible expenses, even if you switch to another UVA Health Plan option or leave the University.

    The annual employer contribution from UVA will be prorated in the following instances:

    • New hire enrollments and employees who are newly eligible for benefits
    • UVA employer contributions will not change for any employee who gains or loses a dependent in the same calendar year
  • Individual Contributions

    You may choose to contribute to your HSA, though you are not required to do so. Employee contributions made by payroll are deducted before taxes. Each year, the IRS sets a contribution limit. This limit includes employer and employee contributions and is per household, so families with two partners working for different employers must keep the limits in mind.

    • The maximum contribution is $4,150 for employee only, or $8,300 for employee + dependents. These are pre-tax dollars reserved for health care expenses and carry over beyond your retirement.
    • Those age 55 and older may make an additional catch-up contribution of up to $1,000 per year.

    EXAMPLE: You are under 55. If you want to contribute the maximum of $4,150 to your HSA and are eligible to receive $1,000 in employer contributions, you would elect $3,150 as the employee contribution, to meet the maximum IRS limit for the year of $4,150. 

  • Managing Contributions

    Funds are sent to your Fidelity account following your first benefits deduction payroll for 2024.

    Balances roll over each year and accrue interest, and you keep the balance even if you leave UVA.

    You may invest your HSA assets in a variety of investment options—including stocks, bonds, and mutual funds—for potential growth of your account over time. Any growth made from the investment is tax-free as long as it is used on eligible medical expenses.

Enroll in Workday

  • To review and elect your benefits in Workday

    WDA offers step-by-step assistance directly in Workday. You can also review the Open Enrollment Workday Job Aid on the Workday Central webpage (behind NetBadge), "Happening Now" section.

    A summary of how to review and elect your benefits in Workday is below:

    • Navigate to Workday.
    • In your Workday Inbox, click on the message titled "Open Enrollment Change: [Your Name] on 01/01/2024"; click on "Let's Get Started."
    • Open Enrollment in Workday is organized into "tiles" for each benefit; you will see two sections, one for Health Care and Accounts, and one for Insurance. Each section has multiple tiles. You will start with Health Care and Accounts.
    • You will have three edit options at the bottom of every tile:
      • Manage to make changes to a benefit you already have
      • Enroll to add a new benefit
      • View to see a benefit that is not editable in Workday (more on this further down)
    • Select a tile and choose the edit option for that tile.
    • Once you've selected or waived a benefit in the Health Care and Accounts section, click on Confirm and Continue -- this will take you to a separate window to select or waive eligible dependents for that benefit. Dependents previously enrolled who are eligible will show up automatically, you just need to select or waive each one of them.
    • Click Save to update the benefit tile. This does NOT submit your elections, it just saves the individual benefit tile details you've selected. 
    • Repeat the above process for all six Health Care and Accounts tiles.
    • Workday now offers you a status update on which benefits you’ve touched: "Reviewed," "Updated" or blank if you haven't touched a benefits tile yet.

    Workday benefits tile screenshot

    • Once you've completed the Health Care and Accounts section, move on to the Insurance section. You will see multiple tiles under Insurance.
    • Select a tile and choose the edit option for that tile.
    • Please note that some life insurance benefits are VIEWABLE in Workday but not changeable. Each of these tiles will direct you to where you need to go to make changes. Some of these changes may be outside of Workday.​
    • Once all your benefits have been reviewed and edited as needed, attach any required documents such as birth certificate for new dependents, then click on Review and Sign -- here you can read the summary of what's you elected.
      • New Basic Health participants: Sign and submit the HSA Terms and Conditions authorization form on the Review and Sign page. This document authorizes Fidelity to open your HSA and is required to receive the 2024 employer contribution.
      • New Dependents: If you added new dependents during Open Enrollment (spouse or children), upload required documentation into Workday. You will see a Spousal Affidavit on the Review and Sign page.
    • Click on the I Accept box, then click on Submit to complete your Open Enrollment process.
    • Print this page or save it as a PDF.
  • If you Change Your Mind on an Open Enrollment Choice You Made and Open Enrollment Has Not Closed

    You can make changes to your elections as long as the Open Enrollment period is open, even after you have submitted your elections.

    • From the Benefits app in Workday, click on Change Open Enrollment
    • You will be making changes to what has been previously submitted. Any changes made will need to be resubmitted. If you do not resubmit, the changes will be deleted and the previous submission will remain in effect.
    • Move through the same tiles to elect or waive coverage.
    • Once changes are complete, electronically sign at the bottom of the last page and press the Submit button.
    • Print the new confirmation of benefits elections or save as a PDF.
  • Look for Additional Tasks After you Submit Your Elections

    Look for additional tasks in Workday related to your Open Enrollment elections:

    • Dependents and Beneficiaries: If you changed your dependents or beneficiaries in Workday, look for possible additional action items in your Workday Inbox.

FAQs - HSAs

  • Help me understand the Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account

    All active, benefits-eligible employees enrolled in Basic Health are required to have a Health Savings Account (HSA). Funds in your HSA can be used for eligible health care, dental, and vision expenses. Funds in these accounts roll over each year and are yours to keep for future health care costs.

    If you are enrolled in a Health Savings Account, you are not eligible for a Full Healthcare Flexible Spending Account, but you can enroll in a Limited and/or Dependent Daycare Flexible Spending Account to maximize your savings.

    A Flexible Spending Account (FSA), makes it possible for you to pay for certain expenses on a pre-tax basis, which makes your money go farther.

    Here are resources to help you learn more:

  • When will I receive my HSA funds after selecting Basic Health for the first time?

    After moving to Basic Health, you must complete the HSA Terms & Conditions authorization form that will go to Fidelity, the company that administers UVA’s HSAs, FSAs, and Dependent Daycare Reimbursement Accounts. Contributions are accepted into new HSAs the month after the account is opened by Fidelity. Sometimes Fidelity may request more information to open an account. Be sure to follow up on any requests to get your HSA opened in a timely manner.

    • UVA contributes either $1,000 (employee only) or $1,500 (employee plus) once your account is opened, and the funds will show up in your Fidelity account and on your first payslip in January 2024.
    • If you were hired in December, you may not have your HSA funds available until February 2024.
    • There are two primary ways to spend those funds for eligible expenses:
      1. Use your prepaid Fidelity benefits card at the time of purchase for eligible expenses.
      2. Submit claims or make payments from your accounts online through the Fidelity website.
  • How much should I contribute to my HSA?

    If you are enrolled in the Basic Health plan with HSA, you should contribute as much as you can afford, up to the annual maximum, since the HSA offers several tax advantages that make it an excellent long-term savings vehicle.

    At the very minimum, you should contribute enough to cover the average out-of-pocket costs that you will likely incur over the course of the year. This strategy makes it more likely that you’ll have the funds on hand to cover the medical care you will need. And, as bonus, if you end up with extra funds at the end of the year, you get to keep that money to cover future medical expenses – including in retirement. 

    HSA funds cannot be refunded to you from your HSA account using the UVA payroll process if you contribute more than the IRS allows or if you change your mind about the amount you've already contributed. Be sure to calculate accurately when making your election. You can change the amount of your employee HSA contribution amount taken from future paychecks by changing your benefits in Workday.

  • Does the HSA contribution limit include employer contribution?

    Each year, the IRS sets a contribution limit. This limit includes employer and employee contributions and is per household.

    Depending on your employee type, UVA may contribute money to your HSA to help offset the higher deductible.

    You may choose to contribute to your HSA, though you are not required to do so. Employee contributions made by payroll are deducted before taxes.

  • Why is my physical address needed to open an HSA?

    Anyone with a PO Box as their home address in Workday will have their request to open a health savings account rejected by Fidelity. It is a Patriot Act requirement to have a physical address on file before the HSA can be opened.

    Please verify your contact information contains your physical address within workday during Open Enrollment.

  • Can my spouse and I both have an HSA?

    Yes, both spouses can have their own individual HSA, whether they work for the same employer or different employers. However, the IRS maximum contribution is a household maximum, so the combined contribution of both spouses, along with any employer contribution, cannot exceed $8,300. If each spouse has employee only coverage, each spouse cannot contribute more than $4,150 each, including employer contributions. 

  • I am turning 65 this year. Can I have an HSA?

    If you will be enrolled in Medicare Part A or B at any time during the year, you should not enroll in Basic Health since you cannot contribute to an HSA while on Medicare (employer contributions are included in this).

  • What happens if I do not sign and complete the HSA Terms & Conditions authorization form?

    If you are new to Basic Health in 2024, i.e., you are moving from Value Health or Choice Health in 2023 to Basic Health in 2024, and you do not sign your HSA Terms & Conditions authorization form on the final Signature page of your Open Enrollment event in Workday, you will not be able to complete your Open Enrollment event.

    The HSA Terms & Conditions authorization form authorizes Fidelity to open an HSA in your name. You can save your work for later if you have a question about the HSA Terms & Conditions authorization form. However, to complete your elections, you will need to sign the HSA Terms & Conditions authorization form before Open Enrollment closes on October 13 at 12:59 pm.

    If you have any questions, or need our help submitting your form, please contact us at 434.243.3344.

[AskHR] confirmed that I had completed my Open Enrollment and could click submit. [They] also helped me figure out that I could increase my 403b contribution outside of open enrollment. [They] were very helpful! Christy Nichols, Positive Image Boutique Coordinator, UVA Cancer Center

Having trouble finding what you’re looking for?

We strive to make the information on every webpage clear and easy to find. For benefits questions or concerns, or questions about Open Enrollment, please contact the HR Solution Center by phone at 434.243.3344, or by email at AskHR@virginia.edu.

Please let the HR Communications team know if you're having trouble finding what you're looking for on these webpages, so we can improve your experience on this page in the future. 

For previous Open Enrollment email communications, see the right sidebar box on this page labeled "Open Enrollment Emails."