Adding Funds to Your Flexible Spending Account
When you make your FSA election during enrollment, you choose your per paycheck contribution, up to the IRS limits. Your total election is prefunded in your account on January 1, and available for you to use. Your contribution payments, are deducted from your paychecks in installments throughout the year. You may not make changes to your FSA contribution election during the year except in limited special situations called Qualified Life Events (QLEs).
Using the Funds In Your Account
Health care FSA:
You use the money in your account to pay for eligible medical, dental, vision and prescription drug expenses, including deductibles, copays, coinsurance and certain equipment. For a full list of eligible expenses, see IRS Publication 502.
You can pay for health care expenses from your Health Care FSA in a few ways:
- Elect to have your eligible out-of-pocket health care expenses (medical and dental) automatically reimbursed from your HCFSA. This means you will not need to submit claim forms. You can elect this automatic reimbursement feature on the Benefit Center website at the time you make your benefit elections. Certain benefits are not eligible for automatic reimbursement. for details.
- Submit claims by completing an FSA Claim Form (available on the Benefit Center website) and attaching an itemized bill or receipt, or the Explanation of Benefits from your plan administrator.
Make it easy: Choose to have your Health Care FSA reimbursement deposited directly into your U.S. checking or savings account by electing Direct Deposit on UHC’s website. This way, you will not have to wait for reimbursement of each claim in the mail.
Limited Purpose FSA:
For Option C Enrollees: Use the money in your account to pay for eligible dental and vision expenses, including deductibles, copays, coinsurance and certain equipment. For a full list of eligible dental and vision expenses, see IRS Publication 502.
Dependent Day Care FSA:
Use the money in your account to pay for eligible dependent care and elder care expenses that allow you and your spouse to work or attend school on a full-time basis. Eligible expenses include payments to a babysitter or companion in or outside your home. Eligible dependents for which expenses can be reimbursed under the Dependent Day Care FSA include qualifying children under age 13 and persons who are physically or mentally incapable of self-care, such as disabled children or elderly dependent parents. See Internal Revenue Code section 152(c) for more information about eligible dependents.
You must pay for expenses by submitting claims. Complete an FSA Claim Form (available on the Benefit Center website) and attach an itemized bill or receipt, including your receipts and the provider’s tax ID number.