Can You Pay Past Bills with Future HSA? Exploring the Options

As HSA (Health Savings Account) users, one common question that often arises is whether you can pay past bills with future HSA funds. Let's delve into this topic to understand the options available to you.

Health Savings Accounts provide individuals with a tax-advantaged way to save and pay for qualified medical expenses. While the funds in an HSA are meant for current and future healthcare expenses, there are certain scenarios where you may need to pay past bills using your HSA.

When it comes to using your HSA to pay for past bills, here are some key points to consider:

  • You can pay for past eligible medical expenses incurred after you opened your HSA account.
  • The expenses must have been incurred after you established your HSA, even if you are reimbursing yourself in the future.
  • Keep detailed records of the past medical expenses you intend to pay with your HSA funds.

It's important to note that while you can reimburse yourself for past eligible medical expenses using your HSA, you should ensure that the expenses meet the criteria set by the IRS to avoid any penalties or tax implications.


Many HSA users often wonder if it's possible to use future funds to settle past medical bills. The good news is that as long as the expenses were incurred after opening your HSA, you can indeed reimburse yourself for those costs.

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