Human Resources

It’s Time to Enroll in a Flexible Spending Account

For the 2017 plan year, Postal Service™ employees will participate in the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS). You will have an opportunity to enroll during Open Season, which is from November 14 to December 12, 2016.

What’s New for FSAFEDs

n Who can participate: Eligible employees can participate in FSAFEDS if they meet Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) eligibility requirements. In addition, benefits-eligible new hires can enroll in FSAFEDS during Open Season. There is no longer a one year waiting period.

n Carryover: This is an exciting new feature because your “use it or lose” risk is reduced with a Health Care FSA (HCFSA). If you enroll in an HCFSA for the 2017 benefit period, you can carry over up to $500 to your 2018 account if you re-enroll during Open Season next year. Note that you will forfeit any remaining funds over $500.

Due to IRS rules, HCFSAs cannot have both a carryover and a grace period. Under the FSAFEDS Program, any money above $500 must be spent by December 31, 2017. If you still have 2016 money remaining in your FSA that’s administered by United Healthcare, you may continue to use those funds until March 15, 2017.

You will still have a 2-1\u20442 month grace period for a Dependent Care FSA. Carryover limitations do not apply to this FSA because of IRS regulations.

n Paperless Reimbursement: If you plan to enroll in an HCFSA, you have the option of using Paperless Reimbursement, which automatically reimburses your eligible health care, retail pharmacy, dental, and vision expenses under participating FEHB and Federal Employees Dental/Vision Program (FEDVIP) plans. There is little or no paperwork involved, and in many cases, you will receive your reimbursement before your bill is due.

Or, rather than reimbursing your claims automatically, your Health Care FSA or Limited Expense FSA expenses are saved to your online FSAFEDS account so you can decide if, how, and when you receive reimbursement. This option is called Pick and Process. Just identify your participating FEHB or FEDVIP plan during enrollment.

    Note: These two options for Paperless Reimbursement are not available for a Dependent Care FSA. If you have this account, you must submit your claims using the method that works best for you.

n Claims: If you choose not to participate in Paperless Reimbursement, or for all dependent care claims, there are several convenient claim submission options including online, mobile app, fax, and mail. Go to the FSAFEDS website to find out more about the FSAFEDS app — it’s the easiest way to manage your FSA.

For more information, go to https://www.fsafeds.com. To find the FSA that best suits you and your family, visit the “Explore Your Options” tab on the FSAFEDS website.

Flexible Spending Account Poster