Manage your Health Savings Account (HSA)

To participate in an HSA, you must be eligible for health benefits and enrolled in the company’s HSA-eligible plan, also called a High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) by the IRS.

If you enroll in an HDHP in the middle of a month, you can start contributing to an HSA the following month.

HSA-eligible health plans

IRS requirements and the insurance carrier determine a health plan's HSA eligibility. An HSA-eligible plan often has "HSA" or "HDHP" in its name.

	2024	2025
Minimum deductible	Self-only: $1,600 Family: $3,200	Self-only: $1,650 Family: $3,300
Maximum out of pocket	Self-only: $8,050 Family: $16,100	Self-only: $8,300 Family: $16,600

Who can enroll in HSA benefits

• Any non-owner employee enrolled in the company's HSA-eligible medical plan
• An owner of a C Corporation enrolled in the company's HSA-eligible medical plan

Who cannot enroll in HSA benefits

These individuals cannot participate in an HSA through Gusto due to IRS rules: 

• Self-employed individuals
• Partners in a partnership
• Owners taking owner’s draws
• 2% or greater shareholders of an S Corporation
  • 2% shareholders of an S Corporation can make post-tax contributions to an HSA, but Gusto does not currently support this.
• Owners of a Limited Liability Company (LLC)

The IRS also disqualifies these individuals from participating in an HSA:

• People eligible for Medicare
• Individuals enrolled in a General Purpose Flexible Spending Account (GPFSA) or a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• Those who can be claimed as a taxable dependent

An HSA can pay for many healthcare costs, but not everything qualifies. There are also limitations on who can be considered an eligible dependent.

Eligible HSA expenses

Check the IRS's list of qualifying expenses.

You can use your HSA to pay for eligible health expenses for yourself and your dependents, including copays, prescriptions, and medical devices.

Eligible HSA dependents

Besides yourself, you can use HSA funds for on eligible expenses for:

• Your spouse
• Any dependent you claim on your tax return 

These are defined by IRS Publication 969.

Eligible employees choose their contribution amount during enrollment. This is also called their “election.” The IRS sets annual contribution limits. 

Pre-tax contribution limits

	2024	2025
Contribution limit (employee + employer)	Self-only: $4,150 Family: $$8,300	Self-only: $4,300 Family: $8,550
Catch-up contributions (age 55 or older)	$1,000	$1,000

You can make catch-up contributions any time during the year you turn 55. A married couple can each make a catch-up contribution if they’re at least 55 and have separate HSA accounts. 

Company HSA contributions

If your company contributes to employee HSAs, those amounts count toward each person's annual maximum. If an employee leaves mid-year, company contributions stay in their HSA and cannot be returned.

Individual HSA contributions

Employees can also contribute to their HSA outside of payroll, but Gusto does not track those amounts.

Learn more about when your HSA funds are available to spend and how we handle payroll deductions.

HSA fund availability

You can spend funds about one week after the payroll check date where deductions were taken. We post-fund HSAs, meaning you can only use funds once we've deducted them from payroll and deposited them into your account.

HSA payroll deductions

We deduct employee contributions pre-tax from payroll. We evenly distribute the employee’s monthly election across payrolls with check dates in that month.

If a deduction is missed and there are still future payrolls in that month, we’ll redistribute the employee’s monthly election across that month's remaining payrolls. If no payrolls remain for that month, future payroll deductions will increase by 50% until we resolve the missed deduction.

Company bank account debits

Learn about funding requirements, associated bank debits, and how to reconcile those debits.

There are many differences between the two, but one of the biggest distinctions is that funds in an FSA will expire if they're unused during a plan year, while the HSA funds can be used beyond the plan year.

FSA: Employees can make pre-tax contributions to their FSA accounts, which are pre-funded by the employer and repaid through payroll deductions. Money in FSAs can be used to cover eligible expenses and must be used before the end of the plan year. This is known as the “use it or lose it rule”.

HSA: A pre-tax benefit account for people who are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP). Pre-tax dollars are contributed to the account and accumulate each year that you’re enrolled without expiring. These funds can be used to cover eligible medical expenses and investments.

Learn more about how to spend your FSA and HSA from the IRS.

When an employee contributes to an HSA pre-tax, their gross taxable income goes down. Since employers pay Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes on the amount an employee earns, employer taxes are also reduced.

Here are the fees to offer an HSA with Gusto:

• Annual base fee: $200
  • The base fee only applies once per year, even if you also offer other benefits through Gusto. Whether you offer just an HSA or all benefit account types, the base fee is $200 total.
• Per enrolling employee: $2.50 per month
  • An enrolling employee is someone with an active benefit in that month. 

To set up an HSA through Gusto:

• Your company needs to offer Gusto-brokered medical insurance or use the broker integration. 
• At least one of the medical plans you offer must be an HDHP.

If you already use Gusto for benefits, including the broker integration, you can add an HSA-eligible health plan and an HSA only at your next renewal. If you choose a renewal package with an HDHP, we’ll automatically add an HSA to your package. 

To adjust the company contribution or remove the benefit, click Edit next to the plan details. If you do not see an HDHP option in Gusto, reach out to your renewal advisor.

If you offer an HSA through a third party, you can still set up payroll deductions for your enrolled employees.

If you have an existing HSA with another provider, you have three options to set up an HSA managed by Gusto.

Option 1: Add an HSA when transferring your company's medical insurance

If you're moving your company's health benefits to Gusto, let us know if you'd like to offer an HSA.

Once we add the HSA,  employees enrolled in an eligible plan can enroll in it through their Gusto account.

Employees can then submit this form to close their old HSA and transfer funds into their new one.

Option 2: Add an HSA at renewal

If you're within a few months of your renewal date, here's how you can start offering an HSA at renewal: 

1. Benefits admins will get an email 15 weeks before your renewal date asking them to fill out a benefits survey in Gusto. In the survey, let us know that you'd like to offer an HSA.
2. We’ll email benefits admins when it’s time to choose your renewal package in Gusto. Make sure to select a medical package with at least one HDHP. You’ll then be given the option to add an HSA.
3. Employees who want to participate need to enroll from their Gusto accounts during open enrollment. If they do not take action, they will not be enrolled.
4. After open enrollment, employees can submit this form to transfer their balances from their previous provider to the Gusto HSA.

Option 3: Add an HSA mid-year

If you already offer an HSA-eligible medical plan, you can request to add an HSA mid-year. Here's how:

1. Sign in to your Gusto admin account.
2. Go to Benefits.
3. Scroll to All Benefits and choose HSA.
4. Choose Yes, we currently offer this benefit.
5. Click Save.

Once you complete the steps in Gusto, we’ll start setting up your benefit and contact you with the next steps. Once we add the HSA, any employee enrolled in an eligible medical plan will have the option to enroll in it in their Gusto account. Then, enrolled employees can use this form to close their existing HSA and transfer the funds into their new Gusto HSA.

Learn when you can enroll in an HSA and how to enroll in one outside of an enrollment period.

When you can enroll in an HSA

If your company offers an HSA through Gusto and you’re eligible, you can enroll in it during your new hire enrollment or open enrollment. We recommend enrolling during those times if your company offers a contribution or if you intend to maximize your contributions.

However, you may enroll in an HSA at any time if you’re enrolled in an HSA-eligible medical plan. An HSA-eligible medical plan is also called a High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP).

If you’re enrolling outside of an enrollment period, the cutoff to enroll is the 20th of the month for the following month (Example: Enroll by June 20 for July benefits). If you want to change your contribution at any time, you have until the 20th of a given month to make contribution changes for the following month.

Enroll in an HSA outside of an enrollment period

To enroll in an HSA outside of your new hire enrollment or your company's open enrollment period: 

1. Sign in to your Gusto employee account.
2. Go to Benefits.
3. Under Benefits available to you, find the HSA and choose Enroll.
4. Click Enroll (if you don’t want to enroll, click Waive).
5. Answer the qualifying questions.
6. Choose the amount you wish to contribute for the remaining policy year. 
7. Click Enroll & Continue.

Unlike other benefits you may be offered, there is no step to enroll dependents. Instead, dependents are added as claimants in Part 1: Who’s covered. Any dependent added in that step is added to your Benefits Card Hub as a claimant. Once you’re enrolled, you can add or remove dependents anytime in the Benefits Card Hub. Learn more about which dependents are eligible to use your HSA funds.

For first-time enrollees, we may need more information to open your HSA. See the Customer Identification Program (CIP) section for more details. 

Once we process your enrollment, we’ll mail you a Gusto Benefits Card you can start using for qualified expenses. You can access your account through your HSA tile in Gusto to view your balance, submit expenses for reimbursement, invest your funds, and more.

After the start date, you can find your plan details on the Benefits page in your account. You’ll also find your plan document there, which explains HSA rules and how to use your benefits. Payroll deductions will begin on the first payroll of your HSA’s plan year. 

Any bank that administers an HSA must run CIP testing to verify the identity of anyone who enrolls in an HSA. This can happen behind the scenes without issue, but the bank often needs more information. If so, we’ll contact you to provide documentation, like a copy of your birth certificate or Social Security card.

Complete the CIP process for your Elevate-powered HSA 

If more information is required to open your Elevate HSA, you’ll receive an email from noreply@benefits.gusto.com. Access the Benefits Card Hub to resolve any pending CIP issues.

If/when UMB Bank approves your documentation and activates your HSA, payroll deductions and contributions will begin.

Learn how to access and use your Benefits Card Hub.

Learn about managing your Gusto benefits card, including activating it, ordering a card for yourself or a dependent, and more.

You can review and manage your expenses in the Benefits Card Hub: Under My Accounts, click HSA.

Add or edit an HSA expense reimbursement method

You can be reimbursed by check, direct deposit, Venmo, or PayPal. 

To add or edit your reimbursement method:

1. Access the Benefits Card Hub.
2. In the top-right corner, click on your initials.
3. Click Manage Account.
4. Click Reimbursement Options.
5. Choose Add Payment Method.
6. Fill out the prompts.

HSA receipt requirements

Unlike commuter benefits and an FSA, you do not need to submit receipts for HSA reimbursements because an HSA is your personal bank account. You’re responsible for making sure you use your funds on qualifying expenses only.

Submit an HSA expense for reimbursement

If you paid out of pocket for an eligible expense, you may submit it for reimbursement as long as the service occurred during your coverage period, and the final date to submit claims has not passed. 

To submit an expense for reimbursement:

1. Access the Benefits Card Hub.
2. Choose Reimburse Me.
3. Upload your receipt, bill, or explanation of benefits (EOB).
4. Review the information on the next page. If everything looks correct, submit the request. If anything needs to be corrected, you can edit the field directly.
5. Choose your reimbursement method and submit the request.

If we can validate the information right away, we’ll approve your claim on the spot. If we need more review time, you’ll get an email when we process the claim. This typically takes 3 - 5 business days.

Get reimbursed

If we approve your claim, we’ll reimburse you using the reimbursement method you’ve chosen:

• Check: We’ll mail a check to your home address in a plain envelope. If you have not cashed the check, you can still update your reimbursement method to direct deposit, Venmo, or PayPal in the Benefits Card Hub.
• Direct deposit: Your chosen bank account will get the Automated Clearing House (ACH) within 1 – 3 days. It will appear on your bank statement as “Gusto PayClaim.”
• Venmo/PayPal: We’ll send payment instantly from Elevate to your Venmo or PayPal account. For this service, you’ll pay a fee of $1 per transaction.

Submit an HSA expense for reimbursement after leaving your company

If your benefit has a runout period, you may have extra time to submit claims for qualifying expenses you had during your employment. You can confirm your last day to submit an expense in the Benefits Card Hub.

If you did not register for your Benefits Card Hub during your employment, we can still help. To contact us, sign in to your Gusto account and click the help icon in the top-right corner of the page.

 

Pay an HSA bill directly

If you receive a bill for an eligible expense, you can pay it via check directly from your associated pre-tax benefit account.

If you’ve already paid the bill and want to be reimbursed, go to the header above titled “Submit an expense for reimbursement.”

To pay a bill directly:

1. Access the Benefits Card Hub.
2. Choose Pay a bill.
3. Upload your receipt.
4. Review the information on the next page. If everything looks correct, submit the request.

If we can identify all the required information in the receipt, we’ll automatically approve your claim and pay the provider by check. If not, we’ll manually review the claim within 3 - 5 business days. You’ll get an email once we review and process the claim.

Once your HSA balance is $500 or more, you can start investing your funds from your Benefits Card Hub account. You must invest a minimum of $100 at a time.

HSA investment options

There are two options for investing your HSA funds: self-directed or managed.

• Self-directed: This option gives you more control over your HSA investments. You can choose from a pre-set list of approximately 30 exchange-traded funds (ETFs). You can look at the fund options, learn more about them, and pick the ones that match your goals and how much risk you’re comfortable with. You can also buy and sell funds whenever you want. There are no investment fees for this option.
• Managed: This option gives you a guided investment solution tailored to your goals and supported by a registered investment advisor (RIA). If you’re new to investing, you can feel confident knowing experts are managing your HSA funds to help the funds grow. There may be an extra cost for this option.

Self-directed vs. managed

	Managed	Self-Directed
Investment types	ETFs	ETFs (approximately 30 preselected)
Investment advice	RIA + automated portfolio reviews and rebalancing	Self-serve research tools
Fees	0.25% annual management fee, paid monthly	No administration, management, or trade fees
Best for…	Newer investors, participants short on time	Participants with some investment experience and ability to research funds

Managed investment options (detailed list)

Symbol	Name	Type	Category	Cons. (20% Stock)	Mod Cons. (40% Stock)	Mod. (60% Stock)	Mod Agg. (75% Stock)	Agg. (90% Stock)
N/A	Cash option - UMB	ETF	Short-Term Bond	5%	5%	3%	2%	0%
VCSH	Short-Term Corp Bd Idx ETF Vanguard	ETF	Short-Term Bond	5%	5%	2%	3%	0%
BND	US Total Bond Market Index ETF Vanguard	ETF	Intermediate Core Bond	30%	21%	14%	8%	5%
HTRB	HARTFORD TOTAL RTRN BOND ETF	ETF	Intermediate Core-Plus Bond	30%	20%	14%	8%	5%
SCHP	Schwab US TIPS ETF	ETF	Inflation-Protected Bond	5%	4%	3%	2%	0%
IGOV	iShares International Treasury Bond ETF	ETF	Global Bond	1%	1%	1%	0%	0%
USHY	iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	ETF	High Yield Bond	4%	4%	3%	1%	0%
SCHD	US Dividend Equity ETF Schwab	ETF	Large Value	4%	8%	9%	12%	13%
IVV	Core S&P 500 iShares ETF	ETF	Large Blend	4%	8%	10%	11%	13%
VUG	Growth ETF Vanguard	ETF	Large Growth	4%	8%	10%	14%	15%
VO	Mid-Cap ETF Vanguard	ETF	Mid-Cap Blend	2%	4%	9%	10%	14%
IWN	Russell 2000 Value ETF iShares	ETF	Small Value	1%	1%	2%	2%	3%
VTWO	Vanguard Russell 2000 ETF	ETF	Small Blend	0%	1%	2%	2%	4%
IWO	Russell 2000 Growth ETF iShares	ETF	Small Growth	1%	1%	2%	3%	4%
IEFA	Core MSCI EAFE iShares	ETF	Foreign Large Blend	4%	8%	11%	14%	16%
SCZ	MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF iShares	ETF	Foreign Small/Mid Blend	0%	1%	2%	3%	4%
SCHE	Emerging Markets Equity ETF Schwab	ETF	Diversified Emerging Mkts	0%	0%	3%	4%	4%

Self-directed investment options (detailed list)

Symbol	Name	Type	Category
VCSH	Short-Term Corp Bd Idx ETF Vanguard	ETF	Short-Term Bond
BND	US Total Bond Market Index ETF Vanguard	ETF	Intermediate Core Bond
HTRB	HARTFORD TOTAL RTRN BOND ETF	ETF	Intermediate Core-Plus Bond
SCHP	Schwab US TIPS ETF	ETF	Inflation-Protected Bond
IGOV	iShares International Treasury Bond ETF	ETF	Global Bond
USHY	iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	ETF	High Yield Bond
SCHD	US Dividend Equity ETF Schwab	ETF	Large Value
VONV	Vanguard Russell 1000 Value ETF	ETF	Large Value
IVV	Core S&P 500 iShares ETF	ETF	Large Blend
OEF	S&P 100 Index iShares	ETF	Large Blend
VUG	Growth ETF Vanguard	ETF	Large Growth
QQQ	Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1	ETF	Large Growth
IWS	Russell Mid-Cap Value iShares	ETF	Mid-Cap Value
VO	Mid-Cap ETF Vanguard	ETF	Mid-Cap Blend
IWP	Russell Mid-Cap Growth iShares	ETF	Mid-Cap Growth
IWN	Russell 2000 Value ETF iShares	ETF	Small Value
VTWO	Vanguard Russell 2000 ETF	ETF	Small Blend
IWO	Russell 2000 Growth ETF iShares	ETF	Small Growth
ICF	iShares Cohen & Steers REIT ETF	ETF	Real Estate
IEFA	Core MSCI EAFE iShares	ETF	Foreign Large Blend
SCZ	MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF iShares	ETF	Foreign Small/Mid Blend
SCHE	Emerging Markets Equity ETF Schwab	ETF	Diversified Emerging Mkts

Checks are not available for your HSA at this time. 

You can cancel a recurring reimbursement by signing in to your Benefits Card Hub.

Unlike commuter benefits and an FSA, an HSA is your personal bank account. You are responsible for spending your funds on qualifying expenses only. If you need to correct a non-qualifying transaction, we can help.

To contact us, sign in to your Gusto account and click the help icon in the top-right corner of the page.

You can have more than one HSA. Once you join a Gusto HSA, you can combine other HSAs.

To close any existing HSAs and transfer the funds into your Gusto HSA:

1. Liquidate any investments you may have with your previous HSA.
2. Fill out this form and submit it to your previous HSA provider.

They’ll close your account and mail a check to transfer the funds into your Gusto HSA. This can take up to 6 – 8 weeks, depending on how quickly your HSA provider processes the form.

Consolidate Elevate (UMB) HSAs  

If your HSA account from a previous employer is also managed through Elevate (UMB), you can consoldate your accounts. Follow these steps:

1. Liquidate any investments you may have in your previous Elevate HSA. 
2. Fill out this form and submit it to this address (also listed at the bottom of the form):
   • Gusto
   • PO Box 875050 
   • Kansas City, MO 64187-5050 

Transfer your Gusto HSA to a new provider  

To transfer your Gusto HSA to a new provider:

1. Liquidate any investments you may have with your previous Gusto HSA.
2. Contact your new HSA provider and request their transfer form.
3. Send the form to: 
   • Elevate HCS 
   • PO BOX 875050 
   • Kansas City, MO 64187-5050 
   • Phone: (844) 903-4443

By default, we’ll send you periodic statements by mail, which costs $1.00. To opt out of paper statements, access your Benefits Card Hub and follow the instructions in the notifications section of your homepage. Once you change this setting, you’ll only receive electronic statements, and we’ll no longer apply the fee.

When you make contributions outside of payroll, here are some IRS requirements to keep in mind:

• Full-contribution rule: If you’re eligible to contribute to an HSA on December 1, you may contribute the maximum for that calendar year. However, you must remain eligible for an HSA for the following year. If you don’t, you’ll owe a 6% excise tax on all contributions you made in the previous year when you were not eligible.
  • Example: If you enroll in an HDHP starting December 1, 2025, you may contribute the full 2025 maximum amount to your HSA. If you stay in the plan during 2026, you may also contribute the full 2026 maximum amount. Follow the steps below to make a lump-sum contribution outside of your paycheck.
• Tax-filing deadline: You must make contributions for a taxable year by the tax-filing due date, April 15. Employer contributions may also be made up until April 15 for the prior year. 

Follow the steps below if you want to make a one-time contribution to your HSA. It takes 1 – 3 days for a bank to be verified before you can transfer funds from it.

1. Access the Benefits Card Hub.
2. Under My Accounts, click your HSA.
3. Under Funds Management, choose Contributions.
4. Follow the instructions to submit your contribution. 

Once you're enrolled, you can change your annual HSA contribution anytime. If you’d rather make a one-time contribution outside of payroll, check out the Contribute to your HSA outside of payroll section.

You need to submit changes before the 20th of the current month for them to take effect on the first day of the following month (Example: Submit changes by April 20 to start May 1). You’ll be unable to make changes after the 20th of the last month of your policy.

To change your HSA contribution:

1. Sign in to Gusto.
2. Go to Benefits.
3. Find the HSA tile and click View.
4. Click Change election.
5. Choose Enroll.
6. Click Save & continue.
7. Enter how much money you want to contribute monthly towards your HSA for the remainder of the policy year.
8. Click Confirm & Enroll.

We provide two tax forms for employees who have an HSA: 

• 1099-SA: You’ll receive this by January 31, and it shows your annual distributions. You’ll only get this form if you made distributions from your HSA in the prior calendar year, meaning you spent HSA funds on qualified expenses.
• 5498-SA: You’ll receive this by May 31, and it shows your annual contributions.

Find your tax forms

UMB Bank sends applicable forms directly to enrolled employees, unless you’ve changed your delivery preference to electronic delivery only.

You can also find your forms in the Benefits Card Hub:

1. Access the Benefits Card Hub.
2. At the top-right corner, click the circle with your initials.
3. Click Manage Account.
4. Go to the Statements & Documents tab.

To find your HSA bank account number:

1. Access the Benefits Card Hub.
2. Under My Accounts, click your HSA.
3. On the HSA card, click the Info icon. 
4. To expose your account number, click on the icon that looks like a closed eye.

If you close your HSA or your employer stops offering one through Gusto, you’ll still have access to it, but Elevate will manage it directly moving forward. 

Your balance does not expire—we’ll convert the HSA into an individual account. Elevate will then email you within 10 business days of the plan’s end date with instructions on managing your individual HSA through them. Learn more in the section called Manage your HSA directly through Elevate.

If you become ineligible for an HSA or choose not to renew it during open enrollment, it will still be managed through your Benefits Card Hub. 

If you leave your company, we’ll convert the HSA into an individual account. You’ll get an email on how to manage your HSA with Elevate within 10 business days of the HSA end date. Learn more in the section called Manage your HSA directly through Elevate. 

You can continue spending your HSA funds on qualified expenses, but remember that you can only contribute to an HSA if enrolled in an HDHP.

Since an HSA is your personal account, employee funds cannot be subject to a vesting schedule, and no portion may be returned to the employer.

If your plan ends or you leave your company, here’s what happens:

• Within 10 days of the end date of your company-sponsored HSA, Elevate will change your account to an individual account, transfer your balance to your individual account, and email you with further instructions.
  • In Elevate, you can toggle between your accounts from your profile settings.
  • If you did not register for an Elevate account before your employer-sponsored HSA was canceled, you’ll need to register on Elevate’s website. If you need your registration ID, we can help. To contact us, sign in to your Gusto account and click the help icon in the top-right corner of the page.
• Also within 10 days, Elevate will mail you a new HSA debit card for your individual account. Your benefits card through your employer will become inactive.
• If you need to submit a claim for reimbursement, you can do so through your new individual account.

Employees are responsible for the maintenance fees for their HSAs. The email you get about managing the HSA through Elevate will provide more information.