Internal Revenue Code · 26 U.S.C.

§ 138. Medicare Advantage MSA

In force Text current through Public Law 119-121 (October 9, 2026) release point 119-121

Official text, no changes From the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, release point 119-121 (current through Public Law 119-121 (October 9, 2026)). Compare it with the official text at uscode.house.gov (external site).

Cite as 26 U.S.C. § 138

At a glance

Read from the text, the source credit and the official notes. Not part of the law.

Status: In force
Added: August 5, 1997 by Pub. L. 105–33
Last amended: October 4, 2004 by Pub. L. 108–311
Amendments: 2 dated changes in the source credit
Length: 6 subsections · 789 words · about 3 min to read
Defines: 1 term
Cross-references: cites 2; cited by 2 Code sections and 0 other regulations

¶(a) Exclusion

Gross income shall not include any payment to the Medicare Advantage MSA of an individual by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under part C of title XVIII of the Social Security Act.

¶(b) Medicare Advantage MSA For purposes of this section, the term “Medicare Advantage MSA” means an Archer MSA (as defined in section 220(d))—

¶(1) which is designated as a Medicare Advantage MSA,

¶(2) with respect to which no contribution may be made other than—

¶(A) a contribution made by the Secretary of Health and Human Services pursuant to part C of title XVIII of the Social Security Act, or

¶(B) a trustee-to-trustee transfer described in subsection (c)(4),

¶(3) the governing instrument of which provides that trustee-to-trustee transfers described in subsection (c)(4) may be made to and from such account, and

¶(4) which is established in connection with an MSA plan described in section 1859(b)(3) of the Social Security Act.

¶(c) Special rules for distributions

¶(1) Distributions for qualified medical expenses In applying section 220 to a Medicare Advantage MSA—

¶(A) qualified medical expenses shall not include amounts paid for medical care for any individual other than the account holder, and

¶(B) section 220(d)(2)(C) shall not apply.

¶(2) Penalty for distributions from Medicare Advantage MSA not used for qualified medical expenses if minimum balance not maintained

¶(A) In general The tax imposed by this chapter for any taxable year in which there is a payment or distribution from a Medicare Advantage MSA which is not used exclusively to pay the qualified medical expenses of the account holder shall be increased by 50 percent of the excess (if any) of—

¶(i) the amount of such payment or distribution, over

¶(ii) the excess (if any) of—

¶(I) the fair market value of the assets in such MSA as of the close of the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which the taxable year begins, over

¶(II) an amount equal to 60 percent of the deductible under the Medicare Advantage MSA plan covering the account holder as of January 1 of the calendar year in which the taxable year begins.

Section 220(f)(4) shall not apply to any payment or distribution from a Medicare Advantage MSA.

¶(B) Exceptions Subparagraph (A) shall not apply if the payment or distribution is made on or after the date the account holder—

¶(i) becomes disabled within the meaning of section 72(m)(7), or

¶(ii) dies.

¶(C) Special rules For purposes of subparagraph (A)—

¶(i) all Medicare Advantage MSAs of the account holder shall be treated as 1 account,

¶(ii) all payments and distributions not used exclusively to pay the qualified medical expenses of the account holder during any taxable year shall be treated as 1 distribution, and

¶(iii) any distribution of property shall be taken into account at its fair market value on the date of the distribution.

¶(3) Withdrawal of erroneous contributions

Section 220(f)(2) and paragraph (2) of this subsection shall not apply to any payment or distribution from a Medicare Advantage MSA to the Secretary of Health and Human Services of an erroneous contribution to such MSA and of the net income attributable to such contribution.

¶(4) Trustee-to-trustee transfers

Section 220(f)(2) and paragraph (2) of this subsection shall not apply to any trustee-to-trustee transfer from a Medicare Advantage MSA of an account holder to another Medicare Advantage MSA of such account holder.

¶(d) Special rules for treatment of account after death of account holder

In applying section 220(f)(8)(A) to an account which was a Medicare Advantage MSA of a decedent, the rules of section 220(f) shall apply in lieu of the rules of subsection (c) of this section with respect to the spouse as the account holder of such Medicare Advantage MSA.

¶(e) Reports In the case of a Medicare Advantage MSA, the report under section 220(h)—

¶(1) shall include the fair market value of the assets in such Medicare Advantage MSA as of the close of each calendar year, and

¶(2) shall be furnished to the account holder—

¶(A) not later than January 31 of the calendar year following the calendar year to which such reports relate, and

¶(B) in such manner as the Secretary prescribes in such regulations.

¶(f) Coordination with limitation on number of taxpayers having Archer MSAs

Subsection (i) of section 220 shall not apply to an individual with respect to a Medicare Advantage MSA, and Medicare Advantage MSAs shall not be taken into account in determining whether the numerical limitations under section 220(j) are exceeded.

(Added Pub. L. 105–33, title IV, § 4006(a), Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 332; amended Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(7) [title II, § 202(a)(3), (b)(6), (10)], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A–628, 2763A–629; Pub. L. 108–311, title IV, § 408(a)(5)(A)–(F), Oct. 4, 2004, 118 Stat. 1191.)

Terms defined here

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Medicare Advantage MSA § 138(b)

Cross-references

Computed from the citations in the text of Title 26 and 26 CFR.

This section cites 2 other sections

Cited by 2 Code sections

Amendment history

From the source credit and the official notes, newest first.

October 4, 2004Amended by Pub. L. 108–311Parts changed in 2004: (c)(2)(C)(i) (f)
December 21, 2000Amended by Pub. L. 106–554Parts changed in 2000: (b) (f)
August 5, 1997Added by Pub. L. 105–33

Where it sits in the Code

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Official notes

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Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Social Security Act, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b)(2)(A), is act Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, 49 Stat. 620. Part C of title XVIII of the Act is classified generally to part C (§ 1395w–21 et seq.) of subchapter XVIII of chapter 7 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Section 1859 of the Act is classified to section 1395w–28 of Title 42. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1305 of Title 42 and Tables.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 138 was renumbered section 140 of this title.

Amendments

2004—Pub. L. 108–311, § 408(a)(5)(A)–(D), substituted “Medicare Advantage” for “Medicare+Choice” wherever appearing in section catchline, headings, and text.

Subsec. (c)(2)(C)(i). Pub. L. 108–311, § 408(a)(5)(E), substituted “Medicare Advantage MSAs” for “Medicare+Choice MSAs”.

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 108–311, § 408(a)(5)(F), substituted “Medicare Advantage MSAs” for “Medicare+Choice MSA’s”.

2000—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(7) [title II, § 202(b)(10)], substituted “an Archer MSA” for “a Archer MSA” in introductory provisions.

Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(7) [title II, § 202(a)(3)], substituted “Archer MSA” for “medical savings account” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(7) [title II, § 202(b)(6)], substituted “Archer MSAs” for “medical savings accounts” in heading.

Effective Date

Pub. L. 105–33, title IV, § 4006(c), Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 334, provided that: “The amendments made by this section [enacting this section, amending sections 220 and 4973 of this title, and renumbering former section 138 of this title as section 139 of this title] shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1998.”