Health Care Flexible Spending Account
A Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) allows you to set aside pre-tax money to pay for eligible health care expenses for you and your qualified dependents. Examples of eligible expenses may include health plan deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance; eye exams, contact lenses, and glasses; prescription drugs; dental care, including orthodontia; and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and medications.
You do not have to enroll in an Ohio State medical plan to participate in an FSA through Ohio State.
You can contribute anywhere from $100 up to $3,200 annually to a Health Care FSA, and your entire annual election is eligible to be reimbursed prior to you having the full amount deducted from your pay.
Documents and Resources
Health Care FSA Details
(subject to eligibility to participate in the FSA Program)
Plan Year: Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2024
Pre-tax payroll contributions made during the plan year.
Incurred Expense/Reimbursement Window: Jan. 1, 2024 – March 15, 2025
Incur eligible expenses to be reimbursed from the funds in your FSA(s). This date window includes the grace period.
Reimbursement Filing Deadline: March 31, 2025
All requests for reimbursement must be received by HealthEquity no later than March 31, 2025 or you will forfeit the unclaimed balance in your FSA(s).
FSA participation is voluntary and employees must enroll during open enrollment, within 30 days of employment in an eligible appointment, or within 30 days of a qualified status change, as described in “Limitations on Changes to an FSA Election” in the FSA Specific Plan Details.
Examples of eligible expenses may include health plan deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance; eye exams, contact lenses, and glasses; prescription drugs; dental care, including orthodontia; and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and medications. Review a comprehensive list of eligible and ineligible expenses.
In a situation where an incurred health expense could be reimbursed from either the Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or the university’s Health Reimbursement Account (HRA), the Health Care FSA will pay first. All Health Care FSA funds must be exhausted before HRA funds will be used.
You have multiple options for filing a claim:
HealthEquity Health Care Card
You can use your HealthEquity Health Care Card to pay for eligible health care expenses and funds will automatically be deducted from your health care FSA. Documentation is required by the IRS for all FSA reimbursements. HealthEquity will use software and claims files from university health plan administrators, such as Luminare Health (formerly Trustmark), Delta Dental and Vision Service Plan to automatically substantiate expense.
If an expense cannot be validated automatically using the above methods, HealthEquity will request documentation from participants. Participants have a total of 90 days from the initial card payment to provide requested documentation. During this timeframe, HealthEquity will continue to apply files from health plan administrators to auto-substantiate claims. Failure to provide documentation within 90 days will result in your health care card being suspended until the outstanding claim has been resolved.
Online
To file a claim online, go to Workday, click Menu, select Benefits and Pay Hub and click the “My FSA/HRA/LSA (HealthEquity)” link under suggested links. Scan and upload appropriate receipts.
Paper Form
Fill out a HealthEquity|WageWorks Reimbursement Claim Form and fax or mail it to HealthEquity|Wageworks with copies of the appropriate receipts.
Mobile
With the EZ Receipts mobile app, you can file and manage your reimbursement claims and upload documentation of a Health Care Card expense on the spot, with a click of your mobile device camera, from anywhere.
To use EZ Receipts:
- Go to Workday click menu, select Benefits and Pay Hub and click the My FSA/HRA/LSA (HealthEquity) link under suggested links.
- On the account page click your name at the top right, click Profile.
- Click on one of the active accounts under your profile.
- On the next page at the left click username & password, this information will be specific to the EZ Receipts mobile app.
- Enter a username
- Enter a password, click save changes.
- Download EZ Receipts in the Apple app store or Google Play. Enter the username and password above to use the app after download.
Reimbursement will be issued to you via direct deposit or check unless you select “Pay My Provider” when filing a claim.
Documentation is required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for all FSA reimbursements to ensure the dates of service are eligible and the expense is a qualified medical expense.
HealthEquity, Ohio State’s FSA vendor, automatically substantiates most claims using one of the methods below:
- IRS-approved software to verify debit card expenses at merchants’ point of sale.
- Claims files from the university health plan administrators, such as Luminare Health (medical), Express Scripts (pharmacy), Delta Dental and Vision Service Plan.
If an expense cannot be validated automatically using the above methods, HealthEquity will request documentation from participants. Participants have a total of 90 days from the initial card payment to provide requested documentation. During this timeframe, HealthEquity will continue to apply files from health plan administrators to auto-substantiate claims. Failure to provide documentation within 90 days will result in your health care card being suspended until the outstanding claim has been resolved.
You can provide required documentation to HealthEquity via Workday, click menu, select Benefits and Pay Hub and click the MyFSA/HRA/LSA (HealthEquity) under suggested links.
Explanation of Benefits (EOB) contain all the necessary information required to substantiate your claim. If you provide other forms of documentation, such as a receipt or invoice, the document must include all the following:
- Date of service or purchase
- Detailed description
- Provider or merchant name
- Patient name
- Amount owed
You may have both an Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) and a Health Care FSA to pay for qualified health care expenses with tax-free dollars. Health Care FSA funds will always be used first to reimburse eligible healthcare expenses because those funds are not eligible to be rolled over to the following year. However, they are separate accounts and it is important to understand the differences when using them. Ohio State’s administrator for both accounts is HealthEquity.
Question/Topic | Health Care FSA | HRA |
---|---|---|
What is it? | An account that can be used to pay for eligible health care expenses, as defined by the IRS. | An account that can be used to pay for eligible health care expenses, as defined by the IRS. |
Who can contribute? | Only employees contribute to Health Care FSAs under Ohio State’s program. | Only the employer can contribute to an HRA. |
How do I get an account? | You can sign up for a Health Care FSA during Open Enrollment. | Once you complete Level 1 in the YP4H Incentive Program, an HRA will be funded with your first credit amount. Additional HRA funding is also available when you complete Levels 2-4 and when your enrolled spouse completes any of these incentive levels. |
Do I need to be enrolled in an Ohio State medical plan to use this account? | No | Yes |
Is there a limit on how much can be put in the account? | Yes, the IRS limits how much you can put into an FSA each year. Your contributions can range from $100 to $3,200 per year in 2024. | In 2024, you can earn up to $500 in HRA funding, and your enrolled spouse can earn an additional $500. 2024 HRA funding will be combined with any rollover funds you may have from the prior year. |
Can I save unused contributions to use in future years? | No. You must incur eligible expenses to be reimbursed from your 2024 FSA during the period of January 1, 2024, through March 15, 2025. Any remaining funds after that time period will be forfeited. | Yes. Any unused HRA funds will roll over to the next year as long as you are a covered employee under the Ohio State medical plan at that time. |
Can I be reimbursed for anything other than eligible health care expenses? | No | No |
How do I get reimbursed for eligible health care expenses? | You can use your HealthEquity Health Care Card when you are paying for expenses at the point of service. Be sure to keep your receipts in case they are requested later to verify the claim. You may also submit reimbursement requests from your smart phone or computer, along with verification of the expense. | You can use your HealthEquity Health Care Card when you are paying for expenses at the point of service. Be sure to keep your receipts in case they are requested later to verify the claim. You may also submit reimbursement requests from your smart phone or computer, along with verification of the expense. |
Can I choose the account from which I want to be reimbursed? | No. Health Care FSA funds will always be used first to reimburse eligible health care expenses because those funds are not eligible to be rolled over to the following year. Once any Health Care FSA funds are exhausted, you may begin to access HRA funds. | No. Available HRA funds can be used to reimburse eligible health care expenses only after any Health Care FSA funds have been exhausted. Unused funds at the end of the year are eligible to be rolled over as long as you are a covered employee under the Ohio State medical plan at that time. |
What happens if I terminate my Ohio State medical coverage and I have funds remaining in my account? | Funds in your Health Care FSA continue to be available for reimbursement of eligible health care expenses until the filing deadline if you remain employed in an eligible position with Ohio State. For information on the availability of FSA funds following a change in eligibility or employment termination see the FSA Specific Plan Details. | Unused credits in your HRA will continue to be available until the filing deadline only for reimbursement of eligible health care expenses incurred prior to the date your Ohio State medical plan terminates. Unreimbursed credits in your HRA after your medical plan termination date will be forfeited unless you elect COBRA medical coverage.
HRA balances are not eligible to be transferred to another HRA account, they must remain in the HRA account under which they were earned. This includes individuals who move from Ohio State medical plan as an employee to another Ohio State medical plan as a dependent. |
This is intended to be an overview. Refer to the Plan Document for complete information. In the event the information on these pages differs from the Plan Document, the Plan Document will govern.