California HSA Plans 2026
An HSA-qualified plan is a high deductible health plan that the IRS lets you pair with a Health Savings Account. This page shows the three HSA-qualified plans most Californians actually end up choosing for 2026, what they cost you at the point of care, and the one California tax rule almost nobody tells you about.
2026 changed the rules. Under the July 2025 budget reconciliation law, every Covered California Bronze plan and every Minimum Coverage plan is now treated as an HSA-qualified HDHP, not just the plans with HDHP in the name. If you read anywhere that catastrophic plans can never be paired with an HSA, that was correct through 2025 and is wrong for 2026.
Health Savings Accounts can reduce your out of pocket costs as well as your tax burden. Learn more in our HSA Guide, or call us at (855) 847-7020 and we will tell you which of these is actually sold in your county.
The three 2026 HSA plans we quote most
These are the real, filed 2026 plan names. Each one is a different network type, which is the honest reason to pick one over another.
| Plan Name | Kaiser Permanente Bronze 60 HDHP HMO |
Blue Shield Bronze 60 HDHP PPO |
Anthem Bronze 60 HDHP EPO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan type | HMO | PPO | EPO |
| Deductible (medical and drug combined) | $7,200 individual $14,400 family |
$7,200 individual $14,400 family |
$7,200 individual $14,400 family |
| Coinsurance after deductible | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Out-of-pocket maximum | $7,200 individual $14,400 family |
$7,200 individual $14,400 family |
$7,200 individual $14,400 family |
| Preventive care | $0, deductible waived | $0, deductible waived | $0, deductible waived |
| Primary care office visit | $0 after deductible | $0 after deductible | $0 after deductible |
| Specialist office visit | $0 after deductible Referral required |
$0 after deductible No referral |
$0 after deductible No referral |
| Urgent care | $0 after deductible | $0 after deductible | $0 after deductible |
| Emergency room | $0 after deductible | $0 after deductible | $0 after deductible |
| Inpatient hospital stay | $0 after deductible | $0 after deductible | $0 after deductible |
| Outpatient surgery | $0 after deductible | $0 after deductible | $0 after deductible |
| Lab and basic imaging X-ray, blood work |
$0 after deductible | $0 after deductible | $0 after deductible |
| Advanced imaging (CT, MRI, PET) | $0 after deductible | $0 after deductible | $0 after deductible |
| Prescription drugs Tiers 1 through 4 |
$0 after deductible | $0 after deductible | $0 after deductible |
| Out-of-network care | Not covered (emergencies excepted) |
Covered. $14,000 individual deductible, $25,000 out-of-pocket maximum | Not covered (emergencies excepted) |
| HSA eligible | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Plan ID | 40513CA0380005 | Form A46210 | 27603CA1500010 |
Why the middle of that table is identical. Covered California standardizes the benefit design of every on-exchange plan. Every carrier selling a Bronze 60 HDHP for 2026 must use the same $7,200 deductible, the same $7,200 out-of-pocket maximum, and the same cost sharing. Carriers are not allowed to compete on benefits. They compete on premium, on network, and on which doctors and hospitals they actually contract with in your county. That is the only decision in front of you, and it is the one we help with.
No carrier covers the whole state. Kaiser, Blue Shield and Anthem each sell in a different set of counties, and their networks differ inside a county too. Before you compare premiums, confirm the plan is sold where you live and that your doctors are in it.
The other two HSA-qualified options for 2026
Because of the 2026 rule change, two more Covered California designs now work with an HSA. They carry lower monthly premiums than the HDHP plans but very different cost sharing.
| 2026 design | Bronze 60 HDHP | Bronze 60 (standard) | Minimum Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical deductible | $7,200 individual $14,400 family |
$5,800 individual $11,600 family |
Equal to the ACA out-of-pocket maximum |
| Separate drug deductible | None, it is combined | $450 individual $900 family |
None |
| Out-of-pocket maximum | $7,200 individual $14,400 family |
$9,800 individual $19,600 family |
$10,600 individual $21,200 family |
| Primary care visit | $0 after deductible | Copay of $60, deductible waived | $0 for the first three visits, then full cost until the deductible is met |
| Specialist visit | $0 after deductible | $95 copay for the first three visits, then full cost until the deductible is met | Full cost until the deductible is met |
| Emergency room | $0 after deductible | 40% coinsurance after deductible | $0 after deductible |
| Who can buy it | Anyone | Anyone | Under age 30, or with a hardship or affordability exemption |
| HSA eligible in 2026 | Yes | Yes, new for 2026 | Yes, new for 2026 |
A warning about the standard Bronze 60. It charges a $60 copay before you meet the deductible, which is not something an HDHP is normally allowed to do. It qualifies for an HSA in 2026 only because Congress wrote exchange Bronze plans into the statute. That is a legislative carve-out, not a change to the underlying HDHP rules, and it does not extend to off-exchange plans that look similar. If you are buying outside Covered California, check that the plan is labeled HSA-qualified by the carrier.
2026 HSA contribution limits
| 2026 limit | Self-only | Family |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum HSA contribution | $4,400 | $8,750 |
| Catch-up contribution, age 55 and over | $1,000 | $1,000 per spouse |
| Minimum HDHP deductible required by the IRS | $1,700 | $3,400 |
| Maximum HDHP out-of-pocket allowed by the IRS | $8,500 | $17,000 |
| Penalty on a non-qualified distribution | 20%, plus ordinary income tax, before age 65 | |
Source: IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-19. Figures are for the 2026 calendar year.
California does not follow federal HSA law
This is the fact most websites leave out, and it changes the math for every California resident.
California has never conformed to the federal HSA statute. On your federal return an HSA works the way you expect: contributions are deductible, growth is untaxed, and qualified withdrawals are tax-free. On your California return, none of that applies. Contributions are not deductible on Form 540, and interest, dividends and capital gains inside the account are taxable to you every year, whether or not you withdraw anything.
Practically, that means two things. Your HSA still saves you real federal and payroll tax, so it is still usually worth funding. But you should expect a state tax adjustment each year, and if you invest the account aggressively you will owe California tax on gains you have not touched. Bring this up with your tax preparer before you open one.
Talk to someone who sells these
We will check which of these plans is available in your county, whether your doctors are in the network, and what you would actually pay after any Covered California subsidy. There is no fee for that.
Prescription drug programs on these plans
| Specialty Pharmacy Program | To be eligible for maximum benefits, specialty medications must be obtained through the plan’s preferred specialty pharmacy. |
| Member Pay the Difference | When you choose a brand name drug over an available generic equivalent, you pay your usual share plus the difference in cost. |
| Prior authorization and step therapy | Before covering some medications, your doctor must get authorization from the carrier, and you may first need to try a more cost-effective drug. |
| Mail-order program | You may receive up to a 90-day supply of maintenance prescription drugs through the mail-order program. |
California Health Agents is a licensed independent insurance agency. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by Covered California, the United States government, the federal Medicare program, the California Department of Insurance, or the Department of Managed Health Care. Premium tax credits and California state subsidies are available only through Covered California. Plan availability, benefits and premiums vary by county. Quotes are estimates and are not a contract, guarantee of coverage, or offer of insurance. We are not tax advisors. Benefit figures above are taken from the carriers’ 2026 Summary of Benefits documents and Covered California’s 2026 standard benefit designs, verified August 2026.