Are Hospital Insurance Policy Benefits Taxable Income?

If you buy your own hospital or health insurance, none of the benefits are taxable. Even if you're part of a group plan at work, there's no tax on benefits if you pay 100 percent of the premium. If your employer pays the entire premium, the benefits are potentially taxable. As you can imagine, if you pay a percentage of the cost, a percentage of the benefits is tax-free. If your employer pays 25 percent, say, 75 percent of the benefits are safe from taxation.

If all your policy does is pay for your hospital bills, don't worry. Even if your employer pays the entire premium, reimbursement for medical costs isn't taxable income. Whether your insurer pays the hospital direct or reimburses you for the payments, you're off the tax hook. If you take a tax write-off for medical expenses, though, whatever bills get reimbursed -- whether it's by your employer or some other source -- are not deductible.

Insurance for your family follows the same rules: money reimbursing you for your spouse or child's hospital stay or medical tests isn't taxable. This also applies to parents, siblings or siblings' children provided they meet the IRS test for a dependent exemption. Under the Affordable Care Act, you can cover your children until they turn 26. Your children can sign up even if they're married or can get health insurance through their own employers.

As of 2013, the IRS treats insurance your domestic partner differently. Reimbursements for medical treatments and hospital stays are still tax free, however. The money your employer spends to buy your partner's coverage, however, counts as a taxable fringe benefit. Benefits besides reimbursements may also be taxable, no matter who receives them. Any benefits in the form of sick pay or reimbursement for missed wages during a hospital stay are taxable, just like sick-leave pay.