How to Tell If Your Health Plan Is a High-Deductible Plan

Check your plan documents for the deductible amount and out-of-pocket maximum

A High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) is defined by specific dollar thresholds set by the IRS each year. For 2024, a plan counts as an HDHP if it has a deductible of at least $1,600 for individual coverage or $3,200 for family coverage. The out-of-pocket maximum (the most you pay before insurance covers everything) must not exceed $8,050 for individual coverage or $16,100 for family coverage.

Your plan documents — usually called the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) or your plan's Evidence of Coverage — will list both numbers clearly. If you have your plan through an employer, your benefits summary or the HR portal should show these figures. If you bought the plan yourself through the health insurance marketplace, your plan confirmation letter contains this information.

These thresholds change every January, so a plan that may have access to as an HDHP last year might not this year if the IRS raises the limits. Check your current year's plan documents, not last year's.

Key Takeaways

• An HDHP must have a deductible of at least $1,600 (individual) or $3,200 (family) and an out-of-pocket maximum not exceeding $8,050 (individual) or $16,100 (family) in 2024.
• Your Summary of Benefits and Coverage or Evidence of Coverage document lists your exact deductible and out-of-pocket maximum.
• Some plans that look like HDHPs do not may have access to because they cover certain preventive services before you meet the deductible, which disqualifies them from HSA may be able to access.
• If your employer offers an HDHP, they usually label it clearly as such, but you should verify the numbers match the IRS thresholds for the current year.

Look for plans labeled as HDHP or HSA-may be able to access

Most employers and insurers use the term "HDHP" or "HSA-may be able to access plan" in their plan names or descriptions. If your employer's benefits menu includes a plan called "High-Deductible Health Plan with HSA" or "HSA-may have access to Plan," that is a strong signal you are looking at an HDHP.

However, the label alone is not enough. Some plans are marketed as HSA-may be able to access but do not actually meet the IRS definition. The only reliable way to confirm is to check the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum numbers against the current year's IRS thresholds.

Verify the plan does not cover services before the deductible

An HDHP can cover certain preventive services — like annual physicals, vaccinations, and cancer screenings — before you meet your deductible. This is allowed and does not disqualify the plan from HSA may be able to access.

However, if your plan covers other services (such as office visits for non-preventive care, urgent care, or specialist visits) before you hit the deductible, it may not may have access to as an HDHP for HSA purposes. Your plan documents will specify which services are covered before the deductible and which are not.

The distinction matters because if your plan does not actually may have access to as an HDHP, you cannot open or contribute to an HSA, even if the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum numbers look right.

Ask your employer's benefits team or insurance company directly

If you are unsure after reviewing your documents, contact your employer's HR or benefits department. They can confirm whether your plan is HSA-may have access to and provide the specific language the IRS uses to classify it.

If you bought your plan on the health insurance marketplace, call the insurance company's customer service number on your insurance card. Ask them directly: "Is this plan HSA-may have access to?" They will know the answer immediately.

Many insurers also note HSA may be able to access in your online account portal or in the plan details section of their website.

Understand that HDHP status can change year to year

The IRS adjusts the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum thresholds annually for inflation. A plan that may have access to as an HDHP in 2023 might not in 2024 if the thresholds rose and your plan's numbers stayed the same.

Conversely, if your plan's deductible increased to keep pace with the new IRS limits, it may still may have access to. You need to check the current year's numbers every time your plan renews, usually in January.

If you are enrolled in an employer plan, your benefits summary for the new year will show the updated deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. Compare those to the current year's IRS thresholds to confirm HDHP status.

Know what happens if your plan is not an HDHP

If your plan does not meet the HDHP definition, you cannot open an HSA or contribute to one while enrolled in that plan. You can still use a Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or a Dependent Care FSA if your employer offers them, but those have different rules and contribution limits.

If you switch to an HDHP later in the year, you can open an HSA and make contributions for the months you are covered by the HDHP. The contribution is prorated based on how many months of HDHP coverage you have.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if my employer calls it an HDHP but the deductible is only $1,200?

It does not may have access to as an HDHP for HSA purposes, even if your employer labels it that way. The IRS thresholds are the legal definition. A $1,200 deductible falls short of the $1,600 minimum for individual coverage in 2024. You cannot open an HSA while enrolled in that plan.

Does my plan have to cover preventive care before the deductible to be an HDHP?

No. An HDHP can cover preventive services before the deductible, but it is not required to. What matters is that non-preventive services (like office visits for illness or injury) are not covered until you meet the deductible. Check your plan documents to see which services are covered first.

Can I have an HSA if I am on my spouse's HDHP?

Yes, if your spouse's plan is an HDHP and you are covered under it. You can open an HSA as a dependent on a family HDHP. However, if you also have individual coverage under a non-HDHP plan, you cannot have an HSA. You must be covered only by HDHP plans.

What if I switched plans mid-year — can I still open an HSA?

Yes. If you switch to an HDHP partway through the year, you can open an HSA and contribute for the months you are covered by the HDHP. Your contribution is prorated based on the number of months of HDHP coverage you have remaining in that year.

Where do I find the IRS thresholds for the current year?

The IRS publishes HDHP thresholds on its website each year, usually in March or April for the upcoming plan year. You can also find them on your plan's Summary of Benefits and Coverage or by asking your benefits administrator. The thresholds are the same for all plans and all insurers.