This site is an independent educational resource. We are not a tax advisor, financial advisor, insurance broker, HSA administrator, or HRA administrator. Contribution limits and eligibility rules are sourced from IRS Publication 969, IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-19, IRS Notice 2026-05, and Healthcare.gov. Verified April 2026. Nothing here is personalised tax, financial, or medical advice. Consult a qualified tax professional or licensed insurance agent before making decisions about your health benefits.

HSA vs HRA

Last verified April 2026

Sources, Citations, and Methodology

Every figure on HSAvsHRA.com is sourced from a primary IRS publication, Healthcare.gov, or a named vendor page. This page lists every source used, what it covers, and where it is cited on the site.

Methodology note

All 2026 contribution limits are taken directly from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-19 (HSA / HDHP) and IRS Notice 2026-05 (QSEHRA / EBHRA / FSA). No figures are estimated or interpolated. The 2026 ACA Bronze and Catastrophic plan HSA expansion is sourced from IRS Notice 2026-05 and healthcare.gov. No figure on this site is quoted without an identified IRS source.

If you find an error or a figure that conflicts with a primary source, please report it at the contact link in the footer. We will correct it within 48 hours.

Primary IRS Sources

Sets 2026 HSA contribution limits ($4,400 self / $8,750 family), HDHP minimum deductibles ($1,700 self / $3,400 family), and HDHP OOP maximums ($8,500 self / $17,000 family). Primary source for every 2026 HSA number on this site.

IRS Notice 2026-05/limits/, /qsehra/, /ichra/, /self-employed/

Sets 2026 QSEHRA limits ($6,450 self / $13,100 family), EBHRA limit ($2,200), FSA limit ($3,400), and the ACA Bronze / Catastrophic HSA expansion. Primary source for all HRA and QSEHRA 2026 figures on this site.

The primary IRS consumer guide covering HSA rules, HRA rules, FSA rules, archer MSAs, and all eligibility and contribution rules. Referenced throughout the site for rules of operation, eligible expenses, portability, and rollover rules.

IRS Publication 502/family-of-four/

Comprehensive list of qualified medical expenses under 26 USC 213(d). Used to confirm which medical, dental, vision, and other expenses qualify for HSA/HRA reimbursement. Referenced on /family-of-four/ (kids' expenses list).

The statutory basis for HSA rules. Establishes eligibility criteria, contribution limits, qualified distributions, and rollover rules.

26 USC 9831(d) - QSEHRA/qsehra/, /for-employers/

Statutory basis for the Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement. Establishes size limits, benefit caps, and notice requirements.

26 USC 106(a) - HRA Tax Exclusion/tax-savings/, /for-employers/

Establishes that employer HRA contributions are excluded from employee gross income. The statutory basis for HRA tax treatment.

Government - Healthcare

Government plain-English explanation of HSA basics and HDHP requirements. Referenced on eligibility pages.

Healthcare.gov - 2026 Plan Year Information/eligibility/, /self-employed/

Source for 2026 ACA Bronze and Catastrophic plan HSA expansion. Open enrollment and plan-year guidance.

Vendor Sources (used only for fee data on specific pages)

Fidelity HSA fee schedule/triple-tax-advantage/, /self-employed/

Confirms Fidelity HSA has no fees and full brokerage investment options. Used on /triple-tax-advantage/ and /self-employed/ provider comparisons only.

Confirms Lively HSA has no account fees. Used on /self-employed/ provider comparison only.

HSA Bank fee schedule/self-employed/

Fee structure for HSA Bank accounts ($0-$2.50/month, $1,000 invest minimum). Used on /self-employed/ provider comparison only.

Full disclaimer

This site is an independent educational resource. We are not a tax advisor, financial advisor, insurance broker, HSA administrator, or HRA administrator. Contribution limits and eligibility rules are sourced from IRS Publication 969, IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-19, IRS Notice 2026-05, and Healthcare.gov. Verified April 2026. Nothing here is personalised tax, financial, or medical advice. Consult a qualified tax professional or licensed insurance agent before making decisions about your health benefits. Where affiliate links are present, they are disclosed with rel="sponsored" and inline disclosure on the same page.