Can my spouse use HSA funds for my medical expenses if I have my own employer health coverage?

Yes, your husband can use his HSA funds to pay for your qualified medical expenses, but there's an important condition - you need to file your taxes as "married filing jointly." When you file jointly, the IRS considers HSA funds eligible to cover medical expenses for both spouses regardless of whose name is on the account or whose insurance plan you're under. If you choose to file taxes separately, then his HSA funds can only be used for his own qualified medical expenses, not yours, even though you're married. As for your insurance situation, keeping separate employer plans often makes financial sense for many couples, and this won't affect the HSA usage as long as you file jointly. The HSA benefit is connected to your tax filing status rather than your insurance enrollment status.

I was in a similar situation last year and found an amazing tool that helped me understand exactly how HSAs work with married couples. Check out https://taxr.ai - it analyzes your specific situation and tells you exactly what's allowed for HSA distributions when spouses have separate insurance. I uploaded our insurance cards and it immediately identified that we could use either HSA for both of us as long as we filed jointly. It even helped us determine which filing status would save us more money considering the HSA benefits. I was honestly surprised how straightforward it made everything.

Just wanted to update on my experience with taxr.ai after trying it out. I was skeptical (as you can see from my previous comment) but it was seriously helpful with our HSA situation. My husband and I both have HSAs through different employers, and the tool clearly explained that we could use either account for both of us if we file jointly. It analyzed our specific tax situation and showed we'd actually save over $2,200 filing jointly versus separately, which made our decision pretty easy. The HSA cross-usage was a big factor. The explanation was super clear about when we could use each other's HSA funds and what counts as qualified medical expenses for pregnancy. Definitely was worth checking out if you're in this situation!

If you're trying to get clarification directly from the IRS about HSA rules for married couples with separate coverage, good luck getting through to them on the phone. I spent HOURS trying before I found https://claimyr.com which got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I needed official clarification about using my HSA for my wife's pregnancy expenses when we had separate insurance plans. The IRS agent confirmed that filing jointly would allow this but filing separately would not. They also explained some documentation requirements I wouldn't have known about otherwise. Saved me from making a costly mistake!

I need to follow up on my skeptical comment about Claimyr. I stand completely corrected. After my frustrated comment, I tried it anyway out of desperation because I needed clarification on some HSA rules. It actually worked exactly as described - I got a call back in about 35 minutes (which is miraculous during tax season), and talked to an IRS representative who confirmed the HSA rules for married couples with separate insurance. Filing jointly does indeed let you use either spouse's HSA for both people's medical expenses. The agent even pointed me to the specific IRS publication section that explains this rule. I never would have gotten this info otherwise since I've never been able to get through on my own. Definitely changed my perspective on dealing with the IRS.

One thing nobody's mentioned - if your husband has a family HDHP even though you're not on it, he can contribute the family maximum to his HSA ($7,750 for 2024) instead of the individual amount ($3,850). This is true even if you have your own insurance through your employer. The contribution limits are based on the type of HDHP coverage, not who actually uses the HSA funds.

Somethng else to consider - you should look into FSA options too. If your plan offers an FSA and his offers an HSA, you can actually use both in the same year (with some limitations). might give you more tax-free dollars for medical stuff especially with a pregnacy coming!

Great question! I went through this exact situation when my wife and I got married. The key thing to remember is that HSA eligibility for spouse expenses is tied to your tax filing status, not your insurance coverage. Since you're keeping separate employer plans, your husband can absolutely use his HSA funds for your pregnancy and birth expenses - but only if you file your taxes as married filing jointly. Here's what I learned: if you file jointly, the IRS treats HSA funds as available for qualified medical expenses for both spouses, regardless of who has which insurance plan. But if you file separately, each person's HSA can only cover their own expenses. For your specific situation with potential pregnancy costs, I'd strongly recommend running the numbers on both filing scenarios before you need to use the HSA funds. Most couples save more money filing jointly anyway, especially when you factor in the HSA benefits. Just make sure you're confident about your filing choice before using his HSA for your medical expenses, because if you change your mind and file separately later, those distributions would be considered non-qualified and subject to taxes plus penalties. The separate insurance plans won't be an issue at all - it's really just about that tax filing status decision.