Only Half Of Americans Feel Knowledgeable About HSAs

WINDSOR, Conn. and WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new joint report by the LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute and Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) and finds only 51 percent of Americans believe they are knowledgeable about Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

The study surveyed consumers, financial advisors, asset managers, and employers to get a complete understanding of the HSA market and how this product is being used. The survey results indicate there is much to be done to educate consumers, advisors and employers to ensure the full benefits of HSAs are realized.

The survey found that many Americans are unaware that they can use their HSA assets  ̶  accumulated in their working years  ̶  to pay for health care and long-term care expenses in retirement. In fact, 2 in 5 Americans mistakenly believe that balances must be spent by the end of the year, or forfeited.  The growing costs of health care and long-term care have prompted many advisors to address these risks with their clients as they plan for retirement. Nine in ten advisors surveyed say they typically discuss healthcare or long-term care with clients but only 7 in 10 have specifically addressed the use of an HSA. Those who do not discuss HSAs acknowledge they have insufficient expertise with HSAs. Nearly all advisors (96 percent) surveyed say they would like to learn more.

“Today, only a quarter of Americans plan to use HSA assets to fund future health care costs in retirement,” noted Judy Zaiken, corporate vice president and project director, LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute. “The findings underscore a great opportunity for the industry to educate consumers and advisors on the value of using HSAs for tax-free asset growth and as a financial hedge against retirement health care costs, which is still an uncommon strategy.”

In response to the study’s findings, IRI President and CEO Cathy Weatherford said: “IRI values the opportunity to collaborate with LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute to examine this growing aspect of holistic retirement planning. As the onus of providing income during retirement is increasingly the responsibility of the individual, it is critical for the retirement income industry to drive consumer education on the value of participating in an HSA. While the need for more education is clear, it is encouraging to see the continued growth of HSAs over the past decade and the increasing number of employers offering and seeking avenues to offer these accounts in their benefit packages.”

The study found there were some groups of consumers that are more likely to be knowledgeable about HSAs than others:

• Wealthier households are more likely to be knowledgeable about HSAs. Among households with $100,000 or more in financial assets, 65 percent are knowledgeable as compared to just 40 percent of those with less wealth.
• Men are more likely than women to report being knowledgeable about HSAs (58 percent of men versus 48 percent of women are somewhat or very familiar).
• Married workers report more HSA knowledge than do non-married workers (69 percent versus 52 percent).
• Consumers with children report more HSA knowledge than those without children (55 percent versus 44 percent).

The study examines 2017 survey results from of 2,141 Americans, weighted to represent the US population; 132 active financial advisors; and 1,497 private employers with 10 or more employees.