Last Updated: November 11, 2026 Reading Time: 7 min

MHBP is ending its Consumer Option after 2026, so its enrollees are picking a new plan this Open Season. The question that follows is what happens to the money already sitting in the HSA, and how much paperwork it takes to move it.

Nothing forces you to move it, and when you do, one request to the new HSA company usually handles it.

Your HSA Stays Yours

An HSA is your account, not the health plan's. Both MHBP's and GEHA's brochures say the HSA stays with you when you switch plans. If you leave an HDHP for a regular plan, the money stays available for medical costs; you just can't add new money for months you are not HSA-eligible.

Two exceptions to watch:

  • An HRA is different. If MHBP gave you an HRA instead of an HSA, that balance doesn't follow you.
  • No HSA payback rule found. GEHA's payback rule applies to its HRA, not to HSA deposits. We found no rule in the MHBP, GEHA or Aetna brochures that makes you repay HSA deposits when you leave.

Where Your Money Is, and Where the 2027 Plans Put It

Plan HSA custodian Plan deposit (monthly, while HSA-eligible)
MHBP Consumer Option (2026, ending) Inspira Financial n/a after 2026
GEHA HDHP (2027) HSA Bank $83.33 Self Only, $166.66 for two or more
Aetna HealthFund HDHP (2027) Inspira Financial $66.67 or $133.34

So a GEHA switcher ends up with two accounts: the old one at Inspira and a new one at HSA Bank. You can leave both open. The main reason to combine them is cost: MHBP paid your HSA's monthly fee in 2026. Ask Inspira what it will charge in 2027 before deciding whether to move the money; closing the account cost $25 under the 2026 fee table.

Moving from MHBP Consumer to Aetna's HDHP? Both use Inspira, but neither brochure says whether your existing account receives the 2027 deposits. Ask Aetna and Inspira whether your existing account will receive the 2027 deposits.

How to Move the Money

Use a direct transfer. Ask the new HSA company to pull the money directly from the old one. That direct transfer has no once-a-year limit and isn't taxed. IRS guidance since 2004 says direct transfers between HSA custodians aren't limited.

The fallback is a rollover. If the money is paid to you, you have 60 days to put it into the new HSA, and you can do that only once in any 12-month window.

Steps for a GEHA switcher:

  1. Let GEHA's coverage start and HSA Bank open your account (no earlier than February 1 for a January 10 start).
  2. Ask HSA Bank for its incoming transfer form and send it with your Inspira account number. GEHA's HSA accepts money from your old HSA, and it doesn't count toward your 2027 limit.
  3. Point your payroll HSA deduction at the new custodian. GEHA and Aetna let you set pre-tax HSA deductions through Employee Express or MyPay, the same way you set other deductions; check that yours points at the new account.
  4. Once the balance arrives, close the old account if you no longer want it.

The 2027 Limit and Your Plan's Deposit

For 2027 the limit is $4,500 self-only and $9,000 family, counting the plan's deposit, plus a $1,000 catch-up if you are 55 or older. The 2026 limits were $4,400 and $8,750. Subtract the plan's deposit from the limit to find what you can add.

Example, GEHA HDHP Self Only, under 55 and eligible February through December: multiplying the rounded monthly amount gives $83.33 × 11 = $916.63 before GEHA's final adjustment. The base limit is $4,500 if the last-month rule applies, or $4,125 (11/12 of $4,500) under monthly proration. Subtract the plan's actual deposits and any other contributions for the year to find what you can add. Moving money between your own HSAs doesn't use up your yearly limit, and you can do it even in a year you can't contribute.

A few timing rules:

  • Eligibility is monthly. HSA eligibility is checked on the first day of each month, so with a January 10 start, January usually isn't an HSA month.
  • Part-year eligibility prorates. If you were HSA-eligible for only part of the year, the IRS worksheet usually prorates by month.
  • The last-month rule. If you're in an HDHP on December 1, you may be able to contribute the full year's amount, but only if you remain HSA-eligible throughout the testing period, from December 1 through December 31 of the following year; death and disability are exceptions.

Don't Let an FSA Knock You Out

A regular health care FSA generally knocks out HSA eligibility; a limited-purpose (dental and vision) FSA doesn't. If you want an FSA next to your HSA, pick FSAFEDS's Limited Expense (LEX) HCFSA.

Money left in a 2026 general health FSA can affect early-2027 HSA eligibility. Spend it down or ask FSAFEDS how it's handled before you count on contributing in early 2027.

Compare 2027 HDHPs Before December 14

Pick your enrollment tier and two or three 2027 plans in the FEHB plan comparison to see premium plus expected out-of-pocket side by side, with any HSA deposit credited, then check each HDHP's deposit against the table above. Open Season ends December 14, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to move my HSA if I leave my FEHB HDHP?

No. Your HSA money is yours, and leaving the plan doesn't take it away. Both MHBP's and GEHA's brochures say the HSA stays with you when you switch plans, so moving the money is your choice.

What is the best way to move HSA money to a new custodian?

A direct transfer. Ask the new HSA company to pull the money from the old one; a direct transfer has no once-a-year limit and isn't taxed. If the money is paid to you instead, you have 60 days to deposit it in the new HSA, and only one such rollover is allowed in any 12-month window.

Where is my MHBP Consumer HSA?

At Inspira Financial. GEHA's 2027 HDHP uses HSA Bank, and Aetna's HDHP uses Inspira Financial.

When will GEHA make its first HSA deposit if I switch at Open Season?

With a January 10 start, GEHA's brochure says your HSA can be set up no earlier than February 1, so the first deposit comes in February at the earliest.

Does transferring my old HSA count against my 2027 limit?

No. Moving money between your own HSAs doesn't use up your yearly limit. The plan's own deposit does count toward the $4,500 self-only or $9,000 family limit for 2027 (plus a $1,000 catch-up at 55 or older).

Will I have to pay back HSA deposits if I leave the HDHP mid-year?

We found no such rule for HSAs in the MHBP, GEHA or Aetna brochures. GEHA's payback rule applies to its HRA, not to HSA deposits.

Can I have an FSA and an HSA at the same time?

Only an HSA-compatible one, such as a limited-purpose FSA. A regular health care FSA generally knocks out HSA eligibility; for FSAFEDS, the HSA-compatible choice is the Limited Expense (LEX) HCFSA, for dental and vision.

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