Can I buy health insurance through the exchange that’s compatible with an HSA?

Can I buy health insurance that’s compatible with a health savings account (HSA) through the health insurance exchange in my state?

If you enroll in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP), you’ll be eligible to fund an HSA. HSAs let you contribute pre-tax dollars that you can then use to pay for qualified medical expenses. In almost every county in the country, HDHPs are available through the Marketplace/exchange.

And starting with the 2026 plan year, Marketplace availability of plans that are HSA-compatible will greatly increase. This is because all Bronze and Catastrophic Marketplace plans will be considered HDHPs, under the terms of federal legislation that was enacted in 2025.¹ This will ensure that there are multiple HDHPs available to all Marketplace enrollees.

Depending on your income, you might be eligible for premium tax credits (subsidies) that make the premiums more affordable. Most enrollees are subsidy-eligible,² and the subsidies are larger and more widely available through the end of 2025, due the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act. It's also important to note that contributions to your HSA will reduce your ACA-specific modified adjusted gross income, which could result in a larger premium subsidy.

The Affordable Care Act's open enrollment period (OEP) – from November 1 through January 15 in most states – is your chance to secure health coverage. You can also enroll outside of that window if you qualify for a special enrollment period. (Starting in the fall of 2026, the open enrollment period will end December 15 in most states, and will not be allowed to extend past December 31 in any states.)

Your goals in choosing a health insurance plan may include minimizing your total costs, while ensuring you have access to the services and providers you need.

And when you run the numbers on what each health plan will cost you, you're apt to focus on two main factors: premiums and out-of-pocket costs. But remember, there's a less obvious form of savings you might reap, depending on the plan you choose, and it's the tax savings associated with a health savings account (HSA).

Read one couple's story of how they ended up selecting an HSA-qualified health plan after transitioning away from a more robust employer-sponsored plan.

Am I eligible to contribute to an HSA?

To contribute pre-tax money to an HSA, you must sign up for a high-deductible health plan (HDHP). A plan is not an HDHP just because it has a high deductible; HDHPs also have to follow other rules laid out by the IRS.

For 2025 coverage, HDHPs must have minimum deductibles of $1,650 for an individual and $3,300 for a family, and out-of-pocket caps of no more than $8,300 for an individual and $16,600 for a family.³ (These limits are indexed each year by the IRS, and are lower than the out-of-pocket maximums that apply to non-HDHPs.)

For 2026, the minimum deductibles will increase to $1,700 and $3,400, respectively, and the out-of-pocket limits will increase to $8,500 and $17,000.⁴ But as noted above, the definition of HDHP will also expand to include all Bronze and Catastrophic plans purchased in the Marketplace, starting with the 2026 plan year. Those plans will not need to conform to any of the normal HDHP rules set by the IRS.

In addition to the deductible and out-of-pocket limits, HDHPs cannot pay for any non-preventive services before the aforementioned minimum deductibles are met (again, this restriction won’t apply to Bronze and Catastrophic Marketplace plans). But with an HDHP, you’re entitled to certain free preventive care services before the deductible is met. (This works just like preventive coverage on any other ACA-compliant health plan.)

And there are rules in place that allow insurers the option to provide treatment for certain chronic conditions, like asthma and diabetes, under the preventive care umbrella while allowing the plan to retain its HDHP status. If your insurer offers these additional benefits, you may be eligible to receive certain covered treatments before meeting your deductible. Plus, you can use your HSA funds to pay your deductibles under your HDHP.

How much can I contribute to an HSA?

If you have HDHP coverage in 2025, you can contribute up to $4,300 to your HSA if you have self-only HDHP coverage, or up to $8,550 if your HDHP also covers at least one other family member.³ You have until the tax filing deadline in 2026 to make your contributions.

If you enroll in an HDHP for 2026 (including a Bronze or Catastrophic plan purchased through the Marketplace in your state), you’ll be allowed to contribute up to $4,400 if you have self-only HDHP coverage, or up to $8,750 if you have family HDHP coverage.⁵

If you're 55 or older, you get an additional $1,000 on top of whichever limit applies to you. That additional catch-up amount is not indexed for inflation; it stays the same from one year to the next. If two spouses are each 55 or older they must each have their own HSAs if they each want to make the catch-up contribution.

If they choose to just contribute the family amount to one spouse's HSA, they will only be allowed to make the additional contribution for one of them.⁶ (HSAs are not jointly owned, but the money in the HSA can be used to cover medical expenses for the owner, their spouse, and any tax dependents.)

Is an HDHP right for you?

To give you a sense of what an HDHP might cost you, consider this:

In 2025, a family of three (two adults in their mid-40s plus one 10-year-old dependent) in Dallas with an income of $105,000 (i.e., above 400% of the federal poverty level so normally not eligible for premium subsidies, but eligible for a subsidy of $639/month in 2025 due to the American Rescue Plan) could purchase a Bronze-level HDHP at a monthly premium of $440 (after the subsidy is applied), with an individual deductible of $4,000 and out-of-pocket maximum of $8,250 (both double that amount for the family).⁹

Meanwhile, a Gold plan (non-HDHP) with a monthly premium of $627 (after the subsidy is applied) comes with an annual deductible of $1,000 for the whole family, no charge for  primary care visits, $5 copays for prescription drugs, and a total family out-of-pocket cap of $17,000 for the year. Because of the copays, zero-cost primary care, and lower deductible, the higher-cost Gold plan includes more robust coverage (unless the family has significant medical needs that will result in them meeting the out-of-pocket maximum; in that case, the HDHP would provide more robust coverage, as it would cap their costs at $16,500). But the family would not be eligible to contribute to an HSA with this plan and would spend about $189 in additional premiums each month.

It's also important to note that HSA contributions will reduce your ACA-specific modified adjusted gross income, which means that your premium subsidy could be larger if you enroll in an HDHP and fund an HSA, versus if you can't or don't fund an HSA.

There are trade-offs on both ends of the spectrum, and no single solution works for everyone. And even if you're set on an HSA-qualified plan, you'll want to be sure to compare other plan features and costs (like the scope of your provider network and prescription formulary) to land on the right decision.

HDHPs can be a smart choice because they open the door to HSA contributions, which can defray or, in some cases, completely cover the costs of the deductibles you then face (assuming you're willing and able to contribute to your HSA). As you weigh your health plan options during open enrollment – or during a special enrollment period if you have a qualifying event – you may find that it pays to switch to an HDHP to capitalize on the tax savings HSAs offer.