A CDHP saves money only when employees use the HSA well. That takes education, not an enrollment flyer.
Employees who do not understand the deductible put off care they need, and employees who do not understand the HSA leave it empty. We build education that runs through the year, timed to the moments when employees actually make decisions about their account.
Four ideas decide whether an HSA gets used well.
Employees do not need a lecture on tax law. They need a few ideas explained with their own numbers.
Preventive Care Is Covered
Screenings and preventive visits are covered before the deductible. Employees who miss this skip care they would not have paid for, which is exactly the outcome that makes a CDHP feel like a cut. Preventive care education is the first step in HSA employee education.
The Account Is Theirs
Money in an HSA stays with the employee, rolls over every year and moves with them when they leave. Once employees see that, contributing looks like saving rather than prepaying a bill. Ownership framing encourages HSA contributions. Saving, not spending, is the message that sticks.
Contributing Pre-Tax
Payroll contributions go in before tax, so each dollar deposited costs less than a dollar of take-home pay. We show this with sample paychecks, because it is the argument that turns a blank election into a real one. Paycheck examples make HSA tax savings clear.
Paying Now or Later
Employees can pay a bill from the account today, or pay out of pocket and keep the receipt to reimburse themselves later. We explain both, so the choice is deliberate instead of accidental. Clear options help employees get the most from their HSA.
The expensive mistakes are the ones employees make without knowing a rule exists.
Eligibility and contribution rules land on the account holder, not the employer. Education is the only place most employees will hear about them.
Other Coverage
A spouse’s general-purpose FSA that covers the employee, or enrollment in Medicare, ends the ability to contribute. We cover this at enrollment and again as employees near Medicare age, because correcting an excess contribution falls on the employee. Other-coverage rules protect HSA eligibility.
The Annual Limit
For 2026, contributions from all sources cannot exceed $4,400 self-only or $8,750 family, plus $1,000 for those 55 or older. For 2027, the limits are $4,500 self-only and $9,000 family, with the same $1,000 catch-up. Employees who change coverage mid-year need help working out their own limit before they over-contribute. Knowing the annual HSA limit prevents excess contributions.
Nonqualified Withdrawals
Money spent on anything other than qualified medical expenses is taxable, and before age 65 it also carries an additional 20% tax. We explain this plainly and leave individual tax questions to the employee’s own advisor. Clear HSA withdrawal rules help employees avoid tax surprises.
Education follows the calendar of decisions, not the calendar of enrollment.
One session at open enrollment is forgotten by the first bill. We time each piece to the moment an employee has something to decide.
At Enrollment
Plan comparisons using each employee’s own premium and a realistic range of care costs, with a clear prompt to set a contribution rather than leave it blank. Personalized comparisons raise HSA participation at open enrollment, when the contribution decision is made.
At the First Bill
The first explanation of benefits under a deductible is when confusion peaks. A short, well-timed message on reading it and paying from the HSA heads off the calls that would otherwise follow. Well-timed education reduces benefits calls after the first high-deductible bill arrives.
Through the Year
Reminders to review contributions before year end and, once balances pass the custodian’s cash threshold, a look at investing. Each message is short and tied to a single decision. Year-round HSA education keeps accounts working for employees long after open enrollment ends.
What employers ask about HSA education.
Will employees avoid care under a high deductible?
Some will, especially if they do not realize preventive care is covered. That is the main reason education starts before enrollment, not after the first claim. Early HSA education helps employees use preventive care and keeps a high-deductible plan from feeling like a cut.
Can we contribute more for employees who attend?
Employer HSA contributions generally must be comparable across employees in the same category, with different rules when made through a cafeteria plan. Your counsel confirms any design before it is announced. Comparability rules shape employer HSA contribution design, so any incentive needs review first.
Who answers questions after enrollment?
We do, alongside the custodian. Questions about eligibility or limits get an answer grounded in the rule, not a link to a help center. Rule-based answers keep HSA questions from reaching HR, and keep employees confident in the account. Follow-up comes in writing.
Send us your renewal.
We’ll tell you whether it looks competitive, where we see opportunity, and the five questions we’d put to your carrier. No cost, and no obligation to move anything.
The renewal letter
Your current plan summary
Contribution split by tier
Enrolled counts by tier
Four documents — two more if your group is 50 or more. Nothing else; every extra one is a reason to postpone.
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