If you are 55 or older, you can contribute an extra $1,000 to your HSA each year on top of the standard limit. It is per person, not per household. And it stops the moment you enroll in Medicare. Here is how it works.
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| Coverage type | Under 55 | 55 and older |
|---|---|---|
| Self-only | $4,400 | $5,400 |
| Family | $8,750 | $9,750 |
| Two spouses, both 55+ (family HDHP) | $8,750 combined | $10,750 combined |
IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19. Spouse catch-ups must go into each spouse's own HSA.
The catch-up has been $1,000 since 2009 and is not indexed to inflation. A proposed indexing change has been introduced in Congress multiple times but has not passed. Until it does, the $1,000 figure is fixed.
If you and your spouse are both 55 or older and covered by the same family HDHP, you can each contribute a $1,000 catch-up. But the catch-up is an individual benefit, and it can only go into an HSA owned by that individual. If both spouses funnel everything into one HSA, only one $1,000 catch-up lands.
The fix: the non-owning spouse opens their own HSA and deposits $1,000 directly. The family contribution limit ($8,750 in 2026) can be split between the two accounts in any ratio. The two catch-up contributions ($1,000 each) must go into their respective owner's account.
HSA contributions, including the catch-up, stop the month you enroll in any part of Medicare. For most people, that is age 65, though Medicare Part A is free and automatic if you are receiving Social Security. If you are still working and covered by an employer HDHP, you can delay Medicare enrollment and keep contributing.
Common mistake: enrolling in Social Security at 62 or 63 triggers automatic Medicare Part A enrollment at 65, even if you are still working. That ends HSA eligibility even if you wanted to keep contributing. To preserve HSA eligibility after 65, delay Social Security until you actually leave the HDHP.
If you enroll in Medicare partway through the year, you can prorate your HSA contribution for the months you were eligible. The HSA contribution deadline still applies: April 15 of the following year for any prorated prior-year amount.
You must turn 55 at some point during the tax year. Check your HSA provider's profile for your date of birth on record.
Through payroll: ask your employer to include the $1,000 catch-up in your payroll HSA contribution. Directly: deposit $1,000 through your HSA provider's website and select "catch-up" or the relevant tax-year designation.
Your HSA provider reports total contributions to the IRS on Form 5498-SA. Review it in May (for prior year) to confirm the catch-up is included.
When filing your return, report the catch-up on Form 8889, line 7. The full deduction (standard + catch-up) flows through to Schedule 1 and reduces your adjusted gross income.
The HSA catch-up contribution is $1,000 per year for account holders age 55 and older. It is in addition to the standard contribution limit, so a 55+ saver with self-only coverage can contribute $5,400 in 2026 ($4,400 + $1,000) and a family plan holder can contribute $9,750 ($8,750 + $1,000).
You qualify for the catch-up in the calendar year you turn 55. You do not have to wait until your birthday. As long as you turn 55 at any point during the tax year and remain HSA-eligible (enrolled in an HDHP, not enrolled in Medicare), you can contribute the full $1,000 catch-up for that year.
Yes, but only to their own individual HSAs. The $1,000 catch-up is per-person, not per-household. If you are 56 and your spouse is 58, and you both have HSAs, you can each contribute $1,000 extra, for $2,000 total in catch-up contributions. Each spouse must have their own HSA account in their own name.
No. Once you enroll in Medicare, you lose HSA eligibility, including the catch-up. Medicare enrollment is automatic at 65 if you are receiving Social Security. If you delay Social Security and Medicare, you can keep contributing. If you enroll partway through a year, you can prorate contributions for the months you were HSA-eligible.
Your HSA provider's interface usually has a field to designate contributions as "catch-up." If your employer handles payroll contributions, ask them to update your deferral to include the extra $1,000. For direct contributions, include a note that the contribution is the age-55 catch-up so it is coded separately on your tax form 5498-SA.
You can keep making catch-up contributions as long as you remain HSA-eligible, even past 65. The key is not enrolling in Medicare. Many people delay Medicare Part A if they are still working with employer HDHP coverage. If you enroll in any part of Medicare, HSA contributions must stop that month, including the catch-up.
Set a free reminder before April 15. Make sure the extra $1,000 actually lands in your HSA and shows up on your return.
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