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HCSA FAQ

How much can I contribute to my HCSA?
Eligible employees may contribute up to $5,000 per year. This is per-eligible individual maximum. If both you and your spouse are employed by MSU and each of you would like to have your own separate HCSA, then the maximum household contribution for both Health Care Spending Accounts would be $10,000.

Before the plan (calendar) year begins you will need to determine your annual election. After you determine your estimated annual expenses and arrive at an HCSA contribution dollar amount, divide this amount by the number of pay periods for the (calendar) year. This amount will be deducted in even amounts from each of your paychecks, and contributed to your Health Care Spending Account. Utilize the HCSA Worksheet to help calculate your estimated expenses. A listing of the monthly and bi-weekly pay dates can be found on the Web at http://www.ctlr.msu.edu/COPayroll. You will need to plan carefully as the IRS requires that any unused money left in your account at the end of the plan year be forfeited.

 

How can I sign up for the HCSA Debit Card?
Once you sign up online for the health care spending account, MSU's FSA Plan Administrator will automatically mail you two (2) cards. You may contact MSU's FSA Plan Administrator by email flexonline@meritain.com, fax 517-381-6600 or telephone 517-349-7010 or 800-748-0003 to receive additional HCSA Debit Cards.  However, there will be a fee assessed for additional HCSA Debit Cards.

Can I use the HCSA Debit Card to pay for OTC medications?
Yes, you must submit an HCSA Debit Card Substantiation form along with an itemized receipt to MSU's FSA Plan Administrator. Should your receipt not be itemized, you will need to submit your receipt with the OTC item circled, sign the receipt and provide a copy of the OTC's box with the price tag to MSU's FSA Plan Administrator.

Can I use the HCSA Debit Card to pay for dental or vision services?
Yes, the money will be deducted from your account. However, you still need to submit an HCSA Debit Card Substantiation form and an itemized receipt to substantiate the claim. You may choose to wait to pay dental claims after you have received your EOB (Explanation of Benefits) to ensure claims are paid correctly.

If I use the HCSA Debit Card, do I need to save my itemized receipts?
Yes, since HCSAs are IRS-regulated benefits, save all receipts. MSU's FSA Plan Administrator may contact you to submit a receipt to verify an expense. To meet IRS requirements, if such receipts aren't sent to MSU's FSA Plan Administrator in the time frame indicated in their correspondence, your HCSA Debit Card may be suspended until the issue is resolved. You will need to submit an HCSA Debit Card Substantiation form and an itemized receipt to substantiate the claim.

Will I be able to use my Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statement as proof of a claim under the HCSA?
Yes. Your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statement will satisfy proof of your claim. Remember that an EOB is any statement received by you, which identifies benefits paid and not paid under the terms of the insurance plan. It is the unpaid benefits that may be eligible for reimbursement from the HCSA.

Will I have to actually pay an expense (i.e. my deductible or my share of a co-payment) in order to be eligible for reimbursement?
No. Proper documentation must accompany a claim for reimbursement and must reflect your obligation to pay the expense; however, a paid receipt is not necessarily required. Eligibility for reimbursement is based on the date of service, not the date of payment.

If I have no EOB statement or my expense is for a service that is not covered by any of my benefit plans, what proof of claim do I use under the HCSA?
MSU's FSA Plan Administrator does not necessarily require an EOB statement, although attaching an EOB to your claim certainly minimizes any potential questions and delays in processing your claim. However, if you do not have an EOB statement, you must submit an itemized receipt for services, which reflects the type of service, your responsibility for the portion of costs not covered by insurance, and the date of service.

Who is a qualified dependent?
If a person qualifies as your dependent for federal tax purposes, they qualify as a dependent under the HCSA. This definition may be different from that provided under MSU's other group benefit plans. Special rules for dependent status apply to the DCSA. These requirements are specified by the IRS.

Can insurance premiums that I contribute toward my health plans be reimbursed through an HCSA?
No. Insurance premiums are an ineligible expense. However, health and dental premiums paid through your MSU paycheck are automatically processed on a pre-tax basis. The Eligible and Ineligible Expense List is available for your use.

Will my employer have access to specific information pertaining to my health care reimbursements?
In order to ensure your confidentiality, your employer will not have access to your specific health related expenses.

Can I be reimbursed for mileage through the Health Care Spending Account?
You can include in medical expenses, amounts paid for transportation primarily for, and essential to, medical care. Please review the IRS eligible expense list which can be found on their website at: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf

Can I include orthodontia services even though the date of service is prior to the start of my HCSA?
Yes, you may include orthodontia services.

What does the new FSA extension mean?
This change means that a plan participant may use the money left in their account at the end of the plan year for medical expenses within the first two months and fifteen days of the new plan year. Example: For a plan year ending on December 31st, the extension period to incur expenses would be until March 15th of the next plan year.

What if I don't use all of my money from the previous plan year by March 15?
If medical expenses incurred in the first two months and fifteen days of the new plan year are less than the amount remaining from the prior FSA plan year, the left over dollars would be subject to the forfeiture rule. The key point would be for the plan participant to incur enough medical expenses during the first two months and fifteen days of the new FSA plan year to cover the amounts remaining from the preceding FSA plan year.

Do I still have a runout period in order to submit my claims?
Yes. You will have until April 30th to submit all expenses to be applied towards your previous plan year.

If I incur an expense in the new plan year and I have a balance in the old plan year, which plan year will the expense be applied towards?
A general order rule shall apply to the two months and 15 day extension period. Reimbursement requests received during the extension period will first be applied to the previous plan year balance regardless of the date of service. Any previous plan year expenses will be ineligible after that plan year's balance is exhausted. After the previous plan year balance is exhausted, subsequent reimbursement requests incurred in the current plan year will be applied to the current plan year balance. In no event will reimbursement requests be adjusted between plan years after they are processed.

Can I use my debit card for expenses that need to be applied toward my previous plan year?
Debit card expenses are only applied toward the current plan year. Any expenses submitted during the extension period for the prior plan year must be requested and substantiated manually.

Should I throw away my current debit card? Will I receive a new debit card for next year?
Do not throw away your debit card. Meritain Health does not mail out a new debit card every year.

Will I be able to purchase OTC medications or drugs starting January 1, 2011?
Starting January 1, 2011, you will no longer be eligible for reimbursement through your health care spending account for over-the-counter (OTC) medications or drugs, without a doctor's prescription.  If you have a question regarding items that contain a medication or drug, please see the Meritain Health Eligible Expenses Listor contact Meritain Health at 800-748-0003.

Starting January 1, 2011, can I use my debit card (Benny Card) to purchase OTC medications or drugs if I have a doctor's prescription?
No.  If you have a prescription for an OTC medication or drug, you must pay out of pocket at the point of sale and then submit a manual claim requesting reimbursement.  Beginning January 1, 2011, you will not be able to use your debit card to purchase these items.

Can I continue to use my health care spending account to purchase OTC supply items that do not contain a medication or drug in 2011?
Yes. You can continue to use your health care spending account to purchase OTC supply items that do not contain a medication or drug (i.e., thermometers, rubbing alcohol, cold/hot packs, splints, etc.).

Can I continue to use my debit card (Benny Card) to purchase OTC supply items that do not contain a medication or drug in 2011?
Yes. You can continue to use your debit card to purchase OTC supply items that do not contain a medication or drug.

Will I be able to use my debit card to purchase over-the-counter (OTC) medications?
Yes, if you get a prescription and take it to a participating merchant. In order for you to purchase an OTC medication with a debit card, you must remember the following steps:

1. Get a prescription from your physician for the OTC medication.
2. Present your prescription to the pharmacist at the time of purchase and make sure the pharmacy issues an RX number for your OTC medication.
3. Visit www.sig-is.org to view a list of participating merchants that should be able to process debit card transactions for your prescribed OTC medications. (Look under the "Store Locator" heading for the links titled "IIAS Merchant PDF" and "90% Merchant PDF." Or, ask your preferred merchant if they are able to accept your debit card for OTC medications and are able to issue you a prescription number for those purchases.)

My prescription I have in my FSA file with Meritain Health is expiring.  How do I submit the new prescription I received from my provider?
Once you have received the new prescription from your provider, please fax this information to 888-837-3725.  Meritain Health will update your account.

Are there any changes to the health care spending account (HCSA) for 2012? 2013?
There are no changes for HCSAs for 2012. However, starting in 2013, the maximum you can have withheld from your paycheck is $2,500 per year (instead of $5,000). This change is a part of Health Care Reform and it does not affect DCSA maximums.