Benefits: Flexible Spending Account

Benefits

Flexible Spending Account - Health Care

SU offers benefits-eligible employees the opportunity to contribute pre-tax dollars to a Health Care Flexible Spending Account administered by WageWorks.

If you still have claims to submit for FSA-eligible expenses from 2012, you will have until April 30, 2013 to submit them to our previous account administrator, EBS-RMSCO. Click here to download the EBS-RMSCO paper health care claim form.

Benefit Design

The Health Care Flexible Spending Account allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible health care expenses for you, your spouse, and your eligible dependents (as defined by the Internal Revenue Code and the cafeteria plan) that are not covered as eligible expenses under any other health plan. Please note that expenses for your domestic partner and/or his or her children will not be eligible for reimbursement under your Health Care FSA unless they qualify as your dependents for federal income tax purposes.

Federal legislation has reduced the maximum allowable Health Care FSA contribution from $5,000 to $2,500. This change took effect January 1, 2013.

Reimbursement Process

WageWorks offers Health Care FSA participants a variety of ways to manage their accounts and receive reimbursements, including an automatic reimbursement option (AHPC). This option ensures that the copay or coinsurance you paid for an SU medical, prescription, dental or vision claim is forwarded from our plan administrators to WageWorks for automatic reimbursement to you. If you choose this option, you do not have to save any receipts or complete any claim forms to receive reimbursement from your Health Care FSA for these expenses. In the past, the automatic reimbursement applied only to SU's medical and prescription drug claims. As of January 1, 2013, it also applies to eligible Delta Dental and VSP Vision plan claims for enrollees. You may enroll in this option automatically through your new hire electronic enrollment or during the annual Open Enrollment period. Should you wish to activate or waive this feature mid-year, please contact the Human Resources Service Center at hrservic@syr.edu to let us know of your preference, and this will go into effect at that time.

If you have not elected the AHPC reimbursement option, or have a health care expense that cannot be submitted through the AHPC reimbursement option, you may easily file a claim by following these steps:

Incur your eligible expenses and pay bills as you normally would.
Submit your claim, receipts, and any additional required information to WageWorks by selecting one of the following options:
- EZ Receipts app - allows you to file your claim from your smart phone or other mobile device. Click here for an online tutorial of this option.
- WageWorks online - log into WageWorks to submit a claim and view all of your account information.
- Pay Me Back paper claim form - Click here to download the paper health care FSA claim form for mail or fax submission to WageWorks.
WageWorks will reimburse you once they have approved your claim. Reimbursements will be sent to you via paper check as a default. If you would like to receive your reimbursements via direct deposit, you may elect to enroll in this option online by logging into your WageWorks account.
You will have until April 30 of the following plan year to submit claims for expenses incurred during the plan year January 1 - December 31.
WageWorks processes checks daily, so you should receive your reimbursement quickly.

Subject to applicable COBRA rights, should you terminate or otherwise become ineligible for benefits during the calendar year, you will have until April 30 of the following year to submit eligible expenses for reimbursement.

NOTE: IRS regulations mandate that over-the-counter drugs and medicines are not eligible for reimbursement through your health care FSA unless WageWorks has on file a prescription or Certificate of Medical Necessity (CMN) from your physician. This rule went into effect January 1, 2011. See the links below for more information on eligible health care FSA expenses and over-the-counter medications.

Helpful Links

Important FSA Form

Letter of Medical Necessity

Interactive FSA Tax Savings Calculators

Questions? Contact the HR Service Center at 443-4042 or e-mail hrservic@syr.edu.

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The web pages summarize your Syracuse University benefit options. Every effort has been made to ensure this information is accurate. However, the programs are governed by legal documents and insurance contracts. If there is any difference between the information on these web pages and the official documents and contracts, the official documents and contracts will rule. Our benefits are governed by current laws and operated according to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations. We will notify you if changes in plans are necessary to comply with the law or with IRS regulations.

Employees electing to participate in the SU benefit plans are bound by the terms of the governing Plan documents. If you have any questions regarding the plans, you may request a copy of the Plan document from the Plan Administrator by contacting the HR Service Center at the number indicated at the end of this page.

As is the case with all benefits offered by SU, (1) the Plan Administrator has the discretionary authority to interpret the terms of the Plan and such interpretation will be binding on all interested parties to the fullest extent permitted by law, and (2) the University reserves the right to modify or terminate the Plan at any time.