HSA

Meanings

1. 1abbreviationcountablebusinessfinanceAmerican

   A US savings account that lets you put money aside tax-free to pay for medical costs.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say an HSA or two HSAs; it is usually written in capitals.

   Patterns

   • open an HSA
   • contribute to an HSA
   • use your HSA to pay for something

   She opened an HSA through her employer to cover doctor visits.

   Money paid into an HSA is not taxed as long as you spend it on health care.

   He checked his HSA balance before booking the dental appointment.

2. 2abbreviationcountablebusinessAmerican

   Health Savings Account; also used more broadly for other health or safety account names in some organizations.

   Grammar: Like most abbreviations, it takes an or a depending on how the first letter sounds: an HSA.

   Patterns

   • an HSA account
   • HSA funds

   The form asked whether I already had an HSA account.

   Her HSA funds rolled over to the next year.

Word forms

Common combinations

open an HSA

You can open an HSA if you have a high-deductible health plan.

contribute to an HSA

They contribute to an HSA every month.

HSA funds

HSA funds can be used for glasses and contact lenses.

HSA-eligible expense

A flu shot is usually an HSA-eligible expense.

Synonyms and how they differ

health savings account

The full phrase; use it in formal writing, while HSA is the everyday short form.

FSA

A flexible spending account is similar but usually must be used within the year, unlike an HSA.

Word family

HSA-eligible adjective

Describing a medical cost that can be paid from an HSA.

Commonly confused: HSA or FSA? HSA or HRA?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “HSA”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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