topic How can I combine two HSA into one? How can I reimburse medical expense incurred after the establishment of first HSA but after second HSA? in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

How can I combine two HSA into one? How can I reimburse medical expense incurred after the establishment of first HSA but after second HSA?

danilol — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 02:25:10 GMT

My HSA was established in January 2024 and funded since then till end of 2024, It was managed by Bank of America. I lost my job in 2025 January and cannot make contribution to it. But the balance in that account is always keep as $1000.

There is a medical expense incurred in March 2025 which is $1500.

I got a new job in May 2025 and be able to make contribution to a HSA again. But this account is managed by Fidelity. Now I have $600 in this Fidelity account.

My question is how can I reimburse that $1500 medical expense by both previous HSA and current HSA account?

Can I combine these two HSA accounts into one? What will be the establish date for this combined account?

Thanks

Re: How can I combine two HSA into one? How can I reimburse medical expense incurred after the establishment of first HSA but after second HSA?

Mike9241 — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 04:50:17 GMT

you could rollover (transfer) the funds from the old HSA to the new one. The funds go from the old HSA to the new one. Then once the funds are received in the new HSA submit a claim. However, since you have medical expense in excess of what's in the old account, you could submit a claim to the old HSA for its balance and then a second claim to the new one for the reminder of your medical expenses

Re: How can I combine two HSA into one? How can I reimburse medical expense incurred after the establishment of first HSA but after second HSA?

danilol — Sun, 15 Jun 2025 00:09:48 GMT

Can I transfer money from my new HSA account when it built up to the old HSA account to pay off that medical expense?( balance in old HSA account+ funds transferred from new HSA account)

Thanks

Re: How can I combine two HSA into one? How can I reimburse medical expense incurred after the establishment of first HSA but after second HSA?

Opus 17 — Sun, 15 Jun 2025 05:07:36 GMT

@danilol wrote:

Can I transfer money from my new HSA account when it built up to the old HSA account to pay off that medical expense?( balance in old HSA account+ funds transferred from new HSA account)

Thanks

Yes, but you also don't have to, as explained.

As long as you owned Account #1 since January 1, 2024 through today, all your medical expenses after January 1, 2024 are qualified for reimbursement, even if they occurred during Spring 2025 when you owned account #1 (but were not able to contribute) and before you opened account #2. Expenses that occurred after opening account #2 are also reimbursable from account #1 without doing a transfer. The only thing that matters, is did the expense occur after you opened account #1.

So you could simply withdraw all the funds from account #1 to pay for any expense that occurred any date after 1/1/24, even if the expense occurred while account #2 was also open.

If you want to do a transfer (this is similar to an IRA rollover), contact the bank for account #1. Tell them you want to do a direct rollover or transfer to account #2 and then close account #1. The bank holding account #1 will need the account number at bank #2 and possibly some other information, and then bank #1 will either mail a check directly to bank #2 for your account, or will do the transfer electronically.

Re: How can I combine two HSA into one? How can I reimburse medical expense incurred after the establishment of first HSA but after second HSA?

danilol — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 01:28:51 GMT

So if I rollover account#1 to account#2 and close account#1. What will the opening date of account # 2? I always have balance in account #1 before the opening of account#2.

I think account #2 will inherit the opening date of account #1 as 1/1/2024 due to satisfaction of IRS 18 months rules.

Am I correct?

Thanks

Re: How can I combine two HSA into one? How can I reimburse medical expense incurred after the establishment of first HSA but after second HSA?

Opus 17 — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 14:11:55 GMT

@danilol wrote:

So if I rollover account#1 to account#2 and close account#1. What will the opening date of account # 2? I always have balance in account #1 before the opening of account#2.

I think account #2 will inherit the opening date of account #1 as 1/1/2024 due to satisfaction of IRS 18 months rules.

Am I correct?

Thanks

As long as account 1 and 2 overlap even one day, your "opening date" for purposes of identifying qualified medical expenses is the date of account 1.

Re: How can I combine two HSA into one? How can I reimburse medical expense incurred after the establishment of first HSA but after second HSA?

baldietax — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 16:58:22 GMT

@danilol Fidelity also has a good dedicated HSA team who may be able to help with questions about transfers, worth a call if not spoken to them