September 2018: Did you elect the Health Care or Day Care Spending Accounts for 2018?

By Benefits Newsletter

Did you elect the Health Care or Day Care Spending Accounts for 2018?

Check out the list of things you can use your account for, how to use your debit card, and the four easy ways to get your money back on eligible items you’ve paid for.

ELIGIBLE EXPENSES (what you can spend your FSA money on)

  • Health Care Spending Account eligible expenses
  • Day Care Spending Account eligible expenses:
    • You may get money from your Day Care FSA for day care expenses for a child who lives with you and relies on you for more than half of his or her financial support. Examples are your children under age 13 whom you claim on your federal income tax return or disabled dependents of any age who live with you more than half the year.
    • You may get money from your Day Care FSA for day care costs only if it enables you to work, not for occasional baby sitters. If you are married, your spouse must also work, be looking for work, be a full-time student, or be disabled.
    • You can get money from your Day Care FSA for costs of care in your home, someone else’s home, or a licensed day care center and for care provided by a relative who is not your spouse, your child nor your dependent.

USING YOUR DEBIT CARD

Most of the time, you will be able to use your Payflex debit card to pay for your costs directly out of your account instead of having to file a claim and get the money later. But, if you go to a provider who doesn’t take an FSA debit card, you should pay for the costs yourself at the time of service and then file a claim for reimbursement from your FSA.

According to IRS rules, PayFlex may check that all debit card swipes are for eligible expenses. If you get a Request for Documentation letter from PayFlex, you must will need to send in documentation for the transactions listed in the letter to keep your card active.

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

According to IRS rules, these accounts operate on a use-it-or-lose-it basis, meaning that you lose any money that you don’t use on eligible expenses.

March 15th, 2019: Deadline to use all the money you put into your Flexible Spending Accounts

March 31st, 2019: Deadline to submit your claims to PayFlex to get any money paid back to you on eligible expenses you paid for out of your pocket from January 1, 2018 through March 19, 2019. NOTE: If you used your debit card to pay for your expenses, you do not have to submit a claim. But, you may need to provide proof to PayFlex for what you swiped your debit card for. (see above paragraph about Using Your Debit Card).

WAYS TO SUBMIT CLAIMS

  1. Log in to www.payflex.com and click “File a Claim”
  2. Submit using the PayFlex Mobile App
  3. Complete the form and fax to 1-855-703-5305
  4. Complete the form​ and mail to: PayFlex Systems USA, Inc. P.O. Box 981158 El Paso, TX 79998

QUESTIONS?

Contact PayFlex at 1-877-MyTHRLink (1-877-698-4754) prompt 6, press 6