The Retirement and IRA Show HSA Reimbursement, Social Security, Conduit Trusts: Q&A #2612
11 snips
Mar 21, 2026 Listeners get clear rules on HSA reimbursements under Medicare Advantage. A deep dive into who can receive survivor Social Security benefits and unusual partnership scenarios. Detailed discussion of conduit versus discretionary trusts for IRAs, tax traps of trust taxation, and alternatives like Roth conversions, life insurance, and charitable strategies.
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Pay Medicare Advantage Premiums With Your HSA
- Use HSA funds to pay Medicare Advantage (Part C) premiums because they qualify as HSA-eligible medical expenses.
- Jim Saulnier corrected an earlier omission and explained Medicare Advantage often packages Part B and D benefits so its premiums are allowable HSA reimbursements.
Social Security Requires Legal Relationship For Spousal Benefits
- Social Security survivor or spousal benefits generally flow only to legal spouses or qualifying dependents, not informal significant others.
- Exceptions historically existed for recognized domestic partnerships or common-law marriages and narrow parent/mother/father benefits when a child qualifies.
Don't Name Trusts As IRA Beneficiaries Without Purpose
- Only name a trust as an IRA beneficiary when its tradeoffs are worth the tax, administrative, and trustee burden.
- Jim Saulnier warns trusts add complexity: annual returns, beneficiary reports, and difficult administration that many underestimate.