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AT&T Employee HSA Guide: 2025 Health Savings Benefits

AT&T employees just got enhanced HSA benefits for 2025—here's how to make the most of your $8,550 family contribution limit.

By 
Michael Lee
,
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By 
By Farther

Understanding the Power of Your HSA in 2025

In 2025, AT&T employees can contribute up to $4,300 for individual coverage and $8,550 for family coverage to a Health Savings Account (HSA), with an additional $1,000 catch-up contribution available for those aged 55 or older (IRS Rev. Proc. 2024-25).

Due to the new OBBA legislation, HSA eligibility has expanded beyond just high-deductible health plans (HDHPs). Employees enrolled in Bronze-tier or Catastrophic plans are now also eligible to contribute to HSAs, broadening access to tax-advantaged healthcare savings for many AT&T workers.

These expanded eligibility rules, combined with the increased contribution limits, make HSAs a more valuable component of your AT&T financial wellness strategy—whether you're planning for near-term medical expenses or building long-term retirement savings.

HSA vs. FSA: Why HSAs Win Long-Term

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) both permit tax-free medical expenses, but HSAs offer the following main benefits:

  • FSAs are usually use-it-or-lose-it, meaning that funds are not carried over from year to year.
  • Opportunities for investments that resemble 401(k) plans.
  • Pre-tax contributions, tax-free growth, and tax-free withdrawals for eligible medical expenses make up the triple tax benefit (Wikipedia: Health Savings Account).

These features make HSAs ideal not only for immediate healthcare costs but also for building long-term savings and integrating them into your AT&T employee benefits guide.

Strategic HSA Planning for AT&T Advantage Plan Enrollees

If you’re enrolled in AT&T’s Advantage HDHP, you’re eligible to open and fund an HSA. The company offers a $250 employer match annually, helping you build your HSA faster (AT&T Mobility Purple Benefit Guide, 2024). Employees often overlook this match, missing out on tax-advantaged money included in the AT&T Health Savings Account offering.

Taking into account the Triple Tax Benefit

HSAs have what is often called a "triple tax benefit":

  1. Contributions may lower your taxable income. For example, a $4,300 contribution could lower your taxable income by that amount.
  2. Tax-free growth is possible—you can invest HSA money in mutual funds or ETFs, which lets it grow without paying taxes.
  3. You can also take money out of your HSA tax-free for qualified medical expenses, even after you retire (Fidelity HSA Guide, 2025).

However, Devenir Research (2023) says that only 7% of people with HSAs invest their money. This means that a lot of AT&T workers might not be getting the most out of their AT&T Health Savings Account in 2025.

Under the new OBBBA law, the triple tax advantage of HSAs remains fully intact. In addition, OBBA made lower federal tax brackets and higher standard deductions permanent, which enhances the value of contributing to an HSA, especially for mid- to high-income earners who benefit most from tax-deferred savings.

Using AT&T Wellness Programs to Reduce Spending

AT&T offers wellness incentives and programs through its health providers. While no direct evidence was found that these programs fund HSAs, many benefits can reduce healthcare costs, allowing employees to preserve more of their HSA savings. Check your wellness portal for incentives like biometric screenings, which may lower premiums or deductibles and enhance your overall AT&T employee benefits package.

HSA Retirement Planning for AT&T Employees

Think of your HSA as a healthcare 401(k). After age 65, HSA funds can be withdrawn for any purpose (taxed if non-medical), while qualified healthcare expenses remain tax-free. HSAs can also be used tax-free to pay for long-term care insurance premiums up to age-based IRS limits (IRS Publication 502). These features make the AT&T Health Savings Account a valuable retirement planning tool.

Bridging the Retirement Gap

HSAs can be utilized to fill in gaps in healthcare coverage before Medicare eligibility as AT&T employees approach retirement. Employees can use HSA savings to pay for COBRA or out-of-pocket expenses during this time, even though official AT&T documentation doesn't specify a formal "bridge" strategy. For those who are close to retirement, this makes the AT&T employee HSA benefits for 2025 particularly helpful.

Don't Miss Out on HRA Rollovers

Every year, AT&T retirees who have Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs) have the option to roll over any unused money. However, claims must be filed by March 31 of the following year to use HRA funds from the previous year (AT&T Retiree HRA FAQs). You risk losing money if you miss this deadline.

Farther Focus: Assistance with AT&T's Benefits Plan

It can be challenging to navigate the AT&T benefits ecosystem, but the Farther Focus Team is available to assist. The Focus Team works closely with AT&T employees and retirees to support informed decisions regarding healthcare benefits, 401(k)s, and pensions. They have extensive knowledge of the AT&T Retiree Medical Plan and active employee healthcare options. Farther offers career-stage-appropriate insights on everything from HSA planning to retiree medical funding.

Conclusion: HSAs Are Underused Retirement Tools

HSAs are still underutilized despite their effectiveness. Just 13% of accounts had more than $10,000 as of the end of 2021, with the average HSA balance being $3,902 (EBRI 2022). By making the most of their AT&T Health Savings Account, AT&T employees can change that.

Create a flexible, tax-advantaged healthcare nest egg by setting up regular contributions, investing your HSA, and capturing your employer match. The goal is to build the healthcare safety net of the future, not just pay the bills of the present.

With expanded eligibility under OBBBA and continued tax advantages, now is an ideal time for AT&T employees across plan types—not just those in HDHPs—to begin using HSAs as part of long-term financial planning.

Take Action

To learn more about your options and how to optimize your AT&T HSA benefits, book an appointment with the Farther Focus Team. They are available to help you navigate your situation and plan effectively for the future.

Sources

IRS Rev. Proc. 2024-25: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-24-25.pdf

Wikipedia—Health Savings Account: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_savings_account

AT&T Mobility Purple Benefit Guide, 2024: https://cwa6222.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-Labor-Agreement-Purple.pdf

Fidelity HSA Guide, 2025: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/smart-money/hsa-contribution-limits

Devenir Research, 2023: https://www.devenir.com/category/research/

IRS Publication 502: https://www.irs.gov/publications/p502

AT&T Retiree HRA: https://www.alight.com/solutions/retiree-health-solutions

EBRI 2022: https://www.ebri.org

Michael Lee, SVP Wealth Advisor at Farther

Michael Lee

,

Principal, Wealth Advisor & Focus Team Lead
With over 10 years of experience as an advisor, Michael brings a laser-focused approach to holistic wealth management. His first foray into retirement planning was when his mother retired from Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek. As a first generation American, Michael had the duty of translating for his family – and he felt, firsthand, the stress and anxiety that large financial decisions can cause for the majority of retirees. Michael provides fiduciary advice to soon-to-be retirees of large corporations. And he makes it his number one priority to chop down complex financial concepts – including pensions, 401K/TSA, Social Security, and taxes – into easy-to-understand bites for his clients. Michael’s expertise enables him to add a strong layer of financial advice to a company’s HR team – with a particularly strong understanding of the retirement programs offered by PG&E, AT&T, Kaiser Permanente, Chevron, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and Raytheon. Born and raised in Oakland, CA, Michael is an active member of the dog rescue community – having fostered many dogs through rescue organizations including Chows Plus and Love Second Chances. You can find him exploring around town with his latest rescue, Chow Chow Maple.
With over 10 years of experience as an advisor, Michael brings a laser-focused approach to holistic wealth management. His first foray into retirement planning was when his mother retired from Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek. As a first generation American, Michael had the duty of translating for his family – and he felt, firsthand, the stress and anxiety that large financial decisions can cause for the majority of retirees. Michael provides fiduciary advice to soon-to-be retirees of large corporations. And he makes it his number one priority to chop down complex financial concepts – including pensions, 401K/TSA, Social Security, and taxes – into easy-to-understand bites for his clients. Michael’s expertise enables him to add a strong layer of financial advice to a company’s HR team – with a particularly strong understanding of the retirement programs offered by PG&E, AT&T, Kaiser Permanente, Chevron, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and Raytheon. Born and raised in Oakland, CA, Michael is an active member of the dog rescue community – having fostered many dogs through rescue organizations including Chows Plus and Love Second Chances. You can find him exploring around town with his latest rescue, Chow Chow Maple.
Michael Lee, SVP Wealth Advisor at Farther

With over 10 years of experience as an advisor, Michael brings a laser-focused approach to holistic wealth management. His first foray into retirement planning was when his mother retired from Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek. As a first generation American, Michael had the duty of translating for his family – and he felt, firsthand, the stress and anxiety that large financial decisions can cause for the majority of retirees. Michael provides fiduciary advice to soon-to-be retirees of large corporations. And he makes it his number one priority to chop down complex financial concepts – including pensions, 401K/TSA, Social Security, and taxes – into easy-to-understand bites for his clients. Michael’s expertise enables him to add a strong layer of financial advice to a company’s HR team – with a particularly strong understanding of the retirement programs offered by PG&E, AT&T, Kaiser Permanente, Chevron, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and Raytheon. Born and raised in Oakland, CA, Michael is an active member of the dog rescue community – having fostered many dogs through rescue organizations including Chows Plus and Love Second Chances. You can find him exploring around town with his latest rescue, Chow Chow Maple.

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