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Showing posts from November, 2017

Can I have an HSA and a QSEHRA at the same time?

Wrong Question... Yes, you can have an HSA and a QSEHRA at the same time but, what you really want to know is if you can make tax free contributions to a Health Savings Account (HSA) in the same tax year you were provided a QSEHRA. That is a bit more complicated, let's jump into it.  This article was prompted by IRS Notice 2017-67 which provided administrative and procedural guidance on the QSEHRA. The notice indicated a departure from the HRA compatibility requirements which call for a deductible on the HRA equal to the qualifying high deductible health plan (HDHP) deductible. According to the guidance, the QSEHRA is not permitted to impose a deductible therefore, may be disqualifying coverage for those provided the benefit by their employer. The determination comes down to what and whom is covered by the QSEHRA. Background Under section 223, individuals who have high deductible health plan (HDHP) coverage and no other disqualifying health coverage may contribute t

Serving Faith Based Nonprofits

Keeping up with legislation has been difficult on churches. Over the past two years I have had dozens and dozens of difficult conversations with clergy from small, local Churches who have been tearfully concerned about their health insurance. Most have faced a series of events that has pushed their ability to maintain adequate health coverage into a death spiral. Notices of a large premium increases, that they can not afford, combined with conflicting information regarding the ability of  Churches to contribute to clergy's health insurance premiums has created a crisis. In 2016, fewer than half of the solo pastors in the U.S. received any health insurance benefits. Many small businesses and practitioners I work with had not heard of an HRA prior to the 2013 IRS guidance that attempted to prohibit them. But small Churches with solo pastors, they have been using defined contribution plans or some form of "employer payment plan" since before Revenue Ruling 61-146 was i