# Best HSA accounts for expats



## Gybe (Jan 20, 2020)

Hi All!
I'm currently living in California, but don't expect to retire in the States. Has anyone looked in to the most accessible / friendly HSA accounts to use for medical costs outside of the USA (in the future)?

I understand that the IRS will restrict my ability to contribute once I leave the US, but I should be able to use the money in the account for qualified medical expenses even if i'm abroad.

I'd expect to use the HSA from the UK, Australia or Nz in the future.

Understanding how much of a pain this is will help me decide whether to contribute more to this account or not - no point in maxing it out if I can't / It's super hard to access in the future.

Thanks!


----------



## Moulard (Feb 3, 2017)

One thing to consider is that once you are a tax resident of UK, Australia or NZ you may not get the same tax advantage. Its highly likely that this sort of fund will simply be treated as a trust or savings account and that you will be taxed on the growth in the fund. 

That said, once (or if) you became a permanent resident of Australia, you would be eligible for Medicare here and with it nearly free access to medical care in public hospitals and general practice doctors. If not, health care is cheap in Oz when compared to the US, and as a consequence long term visitor health insurance is too.


----------

