Health Savings Account

A Health Savings Account (HSA) is an individually owned, tax-advantaged savings account. You may use HSA funds to pay for medical, dental, prescription, and vision expenses. If you enroll in the State’s High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), HSA enrollment is required. You must re-enroll in the HSA annually if you continue to participate in the State’s HDHP.

If you do not use all of your HSA funds, the funds carry over year-to-year without forfeiture. The money is yours, even if you leave the HDHP or state service.

NOTE: The administrator for FSA, HSA, and Parking and Transit Accounts will change from Optum to TASC starting January 1, 2026. For additional information and key dates regarding this change, review the FSA & HSA Vendor Change web page.

The program is administered by Total Administrative Services Corporation (TASC).

Additional coverage information can be found on the TASC website.

You can contact TASC Customer Care at 866-276-3147.

Questions?

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the human resources office in your school, college, or division.

Language assistance

For assistance with translation or interpretation, please contact contact Cultural Linguistic Services.

Eligibility

You must be enrolled in the HDHP through the State to be eligible.

You are not eligible if:

You are a Graduate Assistant or Short-Term Academic Staff
You are enrolled in Medicare Part A or Part B*
You are covered under another health plan that is not a qualified HDHP
You are covered by TRICARE or have accessed your Veterans Administration (VA) benefits in the past 90 days. Exceptions may apply.
You or your spouse have a Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
You can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return (other than your spouse)

*If you are already enrolled in Medicare, you are not eligible for the HDHP/HSA per IRS regulations. Medicare eligibility usually begins at age 65, and you can be retroactively enrolled in Medicare Part A, unless you postpone your Medicare enrollment. Medicare Part A is mandatory if you receive Social Security income. Check with Social Security to determine your eligibility or to postpone Medicare enrollment.

Enrollment

If you have any questions regarding your eligibility or enrollment options, contact the human resources office in your school, college, or division. If you are a newly hired employee:

You have 30 days from the date employment begins to enroll
Coverage effective date will coincide with your State Group Health effective date

If you are a currently enrolled employee:

You may change/start/stop your HSA contribution at any time
You are required to re-enroll each year to continue participation. Enrollments do not carry forward from year to year

HSA Contribution Limits

The IRS updates HSA contribution limits annually. The annual contribution limits include contributions from all sources, including the UW employer HSA contribution.

HSA Contribution Maximums by Coverage Level and Age of Employee
HDHP/HSA Coverage Level (Individual or Family)	2026 Contribution Maximums	2025 Contribution Maximums
Individual, less than age 55	$4,400	$4,300
Individual, age 55+	$5,400	$5,300
Family, less than age 55	$8,750	$8,550
Family, age 55+	$9,750	$9,550

You are responsible for making sure your HSA contributions (from all sources) do not exceed the annual IRS limits. If you exceed the maximum contribution amount listed above and do not remove your excess contribution amount in a timely manner, you may be subject to excess contribution penalties. Contact your tax advisor for additional information on excess contributions.

Employer Contribution Amounts

Universities of Wisconsin contributes the amount listed below to your HSA based on your health insurance coverage level (individual or family).

2026:

Individual coverage: up to $852
Family coverage: up to $1,704

2025:

Individual coverage: up to $828
Family coverage: up to $1,650

The employer contributions begin when you are eligible for the employer contribution towards your health insurance premium. If you are required to pay half of the total health insurance premium, you are eligible for up to half of the annual contribution (prorated if you are not enrolled for the entire calendar year).

Frequency of Contributions

Annual Employees (paid over 12 months):
Employee and employer contributions are processed on the first two paychecks of each month (24 paychecks per year if eligible and enrolled for the entire calendar year).
Academic Year Employees (paid over 9 months):
Employee and employer contributions are processed on the first two paychecks of each month during the academic year (18 paychecks per year if eligible and enrolled for the entire calendar year).
You can change your HSA contribution amount at any time.
Your per pay period contribution will automatically adjust based on your annual election, amount contributed year-to-date, and the number of pay periods remaining in the calendar year. Your contributions will not exceed your annual election or the IRS limit.

Mid-Year Enrollments

The maximum contribution limits and UW contribution amounts are based on HDHP (and HSA) enrollment for the entire calendar year. If your enrollments are not effective on January 1, the amounts above will be prorated.

Limited Purpose FSA (LPFSA)

A Limited Purpose FSA (LPFSA) covers eligible dental and vision expenses. You may also use LPFSA dollars for medical expenses once your HDHP medical deductible is met. These expenses can be incurred by you, your spouse, and/or a qualifying child or relative. This plan is only available if you are enrolled in an HDHP plan. See IRS publication 969 for more details on expenses that may qualify.