A Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is designed to reimburse for out-of-pocket health care expenses incurred by you or your eligible dependents that are not reimbursable through any other benefit. Examples of eligible expenses are deductibles, copays, prescription eyeglasses, vision exams, dental expenses and many others.

Here is how an FSA works.  You decide to have an amount of your choice (goal amount) to be deducted incrementally from your paycheck. These contributions to your personal flexible spending account are made before any taxes (payroll or income) are taken from your earnings. You then file claims against your FSA for reimbursement of eligible expenses you have incurred.  It is the opportunity to pay for eligible medical, dental, pharmacy and vision expenses with earnings that have not been taxed that provides the great value of an FSA. You may be reimbursed for eligible expenses up to the annual goal you have elected to contribute. 

The Internal Revenue Service has defined what expenses are eligible for reimbursement and it is always best to verify the eligibility of an item or service prior to incurring the expense.  Be sure to review the links for Eligible Expenses and Ineligible Expenses in the left menu.

It is worth noting that your entire elected annual contribution goal amount is immediately available upon your enrollment in the Health Care FSA plan, even before you have made all of your payroll contributions to meet your elected goal amount. You must also remember to use all of your contributions by your employer’s designated plan end date as no contribution amount may be carried over to subsequent plan years. You will need to refer to your employer’s Summary Plan Description (SPD) document to determine your employer’s designated plan end date.

Open enrollment for the Health Care FSA occurs annually. You must elect to participate in an FSA each year before the plan year begins.  New employees may enroll in an FSA during their designated benefits election period.  Changes to your FSA elections can only be made if you have experienced a qualified life status change.