HSA Contribution Limits 2027: $4,500 Single, $9,000 Family
The IRS has set the 2027 numbers: $100 more for self-only coverage, $250 more for family. And since 2026, a Marketplace bronze plan can open the door to an HSA. Here are both years side by side — and when bronze plus an HSA actually makes sense.
Get a Free 2027 Quote ↓What Are the HSA Contribution Limits for 2027?
The IRS has published the HSA contribution limits 2027 account holders will work with: $4,500 for self-only coverage and $9,000 for family coverage, set in Rev. Proc. 2026-24. If you're 55 or older by the end of the year, you can add a $1,000 catch-up. Both base limits are up from 2026, when they were $4,400 and $8,750.
A health savings account (HSA) is a tax-advantaged account for medical costs that you can fund only while covered by an HSA-qualified plan — traditionally a high-deductible health plan (HDHP). Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 – January 15, 2027 on HealthCare.gov, and if you buy your own coverage, the plan you pick in that window decides whether you can contribute at all. New since 2026, a Marketplace bronze plan counts.
Quick answer: The HSA contribution limits for 2027 are $4,500 for self-only coverage and $9,000 for family coverage, up from $4,400 and $8,750 in 2026 (IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-24). Anyone 55 or older by year-end can add a $1,000 catch-up. To contribute, you need an HSA-eligible plan: an HDHP with at least a $1,750 / $3,500 deductible, or a Marketplace bronze or catastrophic plan.
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HSA Contribution Limits 2027 vs 2026: Every IRS Number
The 2027 limits rise modestly: $100 more for self-only HSAs, $250 more for family HSAs, and small increases to the HDHP deductible floor and out-of-pocket ceiling. The only figure in the table that didn't move is the $1,000 catch-up, which is fixed by statute rather than indexed to inflation.
| IRS Limit | 2027 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSA contribution, self-only | $4,500 | $4,400 | +$100 |
| HSA contribution, family | $9,000 | $8,750 | +$250 |
| Catch-up (age 55+ by year-end) | +$1,000 | +$1,000 | None — fixed by statute |
| Total at 55+ (self-only / family) | $5,500 / $10,000 | $5,400 / $9,750 | Base limit + $1,000 |
| HDHP minimum deductible, self-only | $1,750 | $1,700 | +$50 |
| HDHP minimum deductible, family | $3,500 | $3,400 | +$100 |
| HDHP out-of-pocket max, self-only | $8,700 | $8,500 | +$200 |
| HDHP out-of-pocket max, family | $17,400 | $17,000 | +$400 |
How to read it: the top rows cap what can go into the account each year. The HDHP rows define which traditional plans qualify — the deductible must be at least the minimum, and the out-of-pocket maximum (deductibles, copays and other cost sharing, not premiums) can't exceed the cap. The 2027 figures come from Rev. Proc. 2026-24, printed in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-25 (June 15, 2026); the 2026 column matches IRS Publication 969.
Two rules of thumb. The family limit applies when your HSA-qualified plan covers more than just you. The catch-up depends on your age at the end of the tax year: 55 by December 31, 2027 means the extra $1,000 applies for 2027. One more 2027 detail: a direct primary care arrangement costing up to $150 a month ($300 if it covers more than one person) does not disqualify you from contributing.
Do Employer Contributions Count Toward the HSA Limit?
Yes. IRS Publication 969 says the amount you can contribute is reduced by any employer contributions excluded from your income, including money that goes in through an employer's cafeteria plan. The $4,500 and $9,000 limits are totals for the account, not separate allowances for you and your employer.
The math for 2027 is subtraction. If your employer deposits $1,000 into your self-only HSA, you can add up to $3,500 more ($4,500 minus $1,000). With family coverage and a $2,000 employer deposit, your remaining room is $7,000. Pre-tax payroll deposits made through a workplace cafeteria plan land in that same bucket.
If you buy your own coverage with no employer money going in, the full limit is yours. The rule bites in mixed years — a job-based HDHP for part of 2027, then a Marketplace bronze plan. Track every deposit from every source against the single annual limit, and have your CPA confirm the numbers. Nothing on this page is tax advice.
The limit matters for a second reason in 2027. HSA contributions can generally lower the income the Marketplace uses to set your premium tax credit — and with the 400% FPL cliff back under current law ($63,840 for a single person), that can be the difference between a subsidy and full price. See our guide to avoiding the 2027 ACA subsidy cliff.
Is a Bronze Plan HSA Eligible in 2027?
Yes — if it's available as individual coverage through an Exchange. Since 2026, federal law (OBBBA §71307) and IRS Notice 2026-5 treat Marketplace bronze and catastrophic plans as HDHPs, even when they don't meet the usual deductible and out-of-pocket tests.
Before 2026, a bronze plan qualified for an HSA only if its design happened to pass the HDHP tests. Under Notice 2026-5 (Q&A-4), "for months beginning after December 31, 2025," a bronze or catastrophic plan counts as an HDHP if it's offered as individual coverage through an Exchange; Q&A-6 adds that off-exchange versions of the same plan count too. So a 2027 bronze buyer can fund an HSA up to $4,500 self-only or $9,000 family.
Which 2027 plans let you contribute to an HSA?
📋 Traditional HDHP
Any plan that passes the 2027 tests: a deductible of at least $1,750 self-only / $3,500 family and an out-of-pocket max no higher than $8,700 / $17,400.
🪨 Marketplace Bronze
Treated as an HDHP since 2026 when available through an Exchange — even if it misses the deductible and out-of-pocket tests. Off-exchange versions of the same plan count too.
⚠️ Catastrophic
Also treated as an HDHP when available through an Exchange. But eligibility is narrow (under 30, or 30+ with an exemption), and premium tax credits can't be used on catastrophic plans.
🪙 Silver & Gold
Not automatically eligible. A silver or gold plan qualifies only if its own deductible and out-of-pocket max pass the HDHP tests — confirm the specific plan first.
Can you contribute to an HSA with a catastrophic plan? Yes — the hard part is qualifying. As of CMS's August 4, 2026 statement, people 30 and older qualify for 2027 catastrophic coverage only through a hardship or affordability exemption. See our catastrophic health insurance guide.
Don't confuse the HDHP cap with the ACA cap
Two different out-of-pocket limits apply in 2027. The HDHP cap — $8,700 self-only / $17,400 family — is an IRS test for traditional HSA-qualified plans. The ACA cap — $12,000 self-only / $24,000 family (CMS, January 29, 2026) — limits out-of-pocket costs on non-grandfathered plans. A Marketplace bronze plan with, say, a $10,000 out-of-pocket max fails the old HDHP test, is still HSA-eligible under the 2026 rule, and still can't exceed $12,000. For how HDHPs work day to day, see our guide to high-deductible health plans.
Should You Choose a Bronze Plan Just to Open an HSA?
Only if three things are true: you're healthy, you can actually fund the account, and your income is above roughly 250% of the federal poverty level. If any one of those fails, a silver plan — especially a cost-sharing reduction (CSR) silver plan — usually protects you better.
An HSA is a savings account, not insurance. The bronze deductible still has to be paid, and the HSA helps only as much as you've put into it. Fund the account and you're pre-paying part or all of that deductible with tax-advantaged dollars; leave it empty, and you're just carrying a bigger deductible.
Straight talk — bronze plus an HSA is not automatically the smart play. It beats silver only if you're healthy, can really fund the account, and earn above roughly 250% FPL — about $39,900 for a single person for 2027 coverage. Below that line, CSR silver usually wins: at 100%–200% FPL, a CSR silver plan's 2027 out-of-pocket max is capped at $4,000 self-only, and at 200%–250% FPL it's capped at $9,600 — versus up to $12,000 on bronze. An empty HSA can't close that gap. None of this is tax advice — confirm the HSA side with your CPA.
Where bronze plus an HSA tends to fit: healthy enrollees above 250% FPL with cash flow to fund the account, and households over the 400% line who get no premium tax credit under current law — see our high-income health insurance guide. Check your band against the ACA income limits; below about 138% FPL in expansion states, Medicaid may be the better answer. For the full tier-by-tier decision, read how to choose a health insurance plan.
Timing matters too. On HealthCare.gov, enroll by December 15, 2026 and coverage starts January 1, 2027; enroll December 16 – January 15 and it starts February 1. HSA eligibility is determined month by month, so a later start can affect your 2027 contribution — your CPA can confirm the amount. Miss January 15 and you'll generally need a qualifying life event. Call (844) 788-3733 and we'll price bronze-plus-HSA against silver, free.
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