Scheduling
Time & Attendance
Forecasting
Employee App
Payroll Integrations
Communications
Benefits
By Staff Report
Mar. 10, 2011
Beating the Internal Revenue Service to the punch, consulting firm Mercer has released a new report projecting 2012 Internal Revenue Code limits for health savings account contributions and the out-of-pocket maximum for high-deductible health plans.
The predicted change for HSA contributions is 1.6 percent for both individuals ($3,100 in 2012 vs. $3,050 in 2011) and family coverage ($6,250 in 2012 vs. $6,150 in 2011). For high-deductible health plans, Mercer anticipates the out-of-pocket maximum will jump 1.7 percent for both individuals ($6,050 in 2012 vs. $5,950 in 2011) and family coverage ($12,100 in 2012 vs. $11,900 in 2011).
Mercer is also projecting that the high-deductible health plan minimum annual deductibles will remain at $1,200 because of the code’s rounding rules. The HSA catch-up contributions have remained at $1,000 since 2009 and won’t change because of a statute.
“Knowing these projected numbers will help employers to plan ahead and evaluate whether or not they need to make changes,” said Heidi Rackley, a partner with Mercer who co-produced the report.
Unlike traditional policies, high-deductible health plans have lower premiums and will pay out for basic preventive care, but all other costs are paid for by the policyholder until the minimum annual deductible is reached. People who hold high-deductible policies are entitled to maintain HSA accounts, which are tax-exempt trusts. Money that is deposited into these accounts can be withdrawn and used to help offset the high out-of-pocket expense of the high-deductible health plan deductible.
The IRS is expected to publish the 2012 limits by June 1.
James Walsh is Workforce Management’s editorial intern. To comment, e-mail editors@workforce.com.
Stay informed and connected. Get human resources news and HR features via Workforce Management’s Twitter feed or RSS feeds for mobile devices and news readers.
Come see what we’re building in the world of predictive employee scheduling, superior labor insights and next-gen employee apps. We’re on a mission to automate workforce management for hourly employees and bring productivity, optimization and engagement to the frontline.
Benefits
What is Earned Wage Access (EWA)? A Few ConsiderationsSummary Earned wage access (EWA) programs are an increasingly popular way for employees to access their...
benefits, earned wage access products, payroll, time and attendance
Benefits
EEOC says that employers legally can offer incentives to employees to get vaccinated in almost all instancesIf you’re an employer looking to get as many of your employees vaccinated as possible, you can rest eas...
ADA, CDC, COVID-19, EEOC, GINA, pandemic, vaccinated
Benefits
Fixing some common misconceptions about HIPAAEver since the CDC amended its COVID-19 guidance to say that the fully vaccinated no longer need to wea...
COVID-19, health care, HIPAA, human resources, wellness