PULLMAN, Wash. Employees are reminded that the federal Internal Revenue Service tax code prohibits dual coverage in a Consumer Directed Health Plan (CDHP)/Health Savings Account (HAS) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) by an employee and a spouse/domestic partner, according to Washington State University Human Resource Services (HRS).
There is an exception if the FSA is a limited purpose FSA that restricts the use of funds to non-medical expenses (e.g., vision, dental). WSU’s FSAs are not limited purpose FSAs. But if a spouse/qualified tax-dependent state-registered domestic partner is enrolled in a limited purpose FSA, the WSU employee may not be in violation of the IRS rules and may be able to continue coverage in his or her CDHP/HSA.
Employees who determine that this dual enrollment has occurred in their family may:
Request to change to a non-CDHP before the deadline of Feb. 28. Or have the spouse/domestic partner request that his/her FSA be changed to a limited purpose FSA.
Have the spouse/domestic partner with a CDHP or HDHP contact his/her employer see if it is possible to change that selection.
FSA claims deadline March 15
On a different topic, employees who had an FSA in 2012 are reminded that they have until March 15, 2013, to accrue claims and until March 31, 2013 to submit those claims for reimbursement. The exception is that employees who had an FSA in 2012 and are enrolled in a CDHP/HSA in 2013 had until Dec. 31 to use the 2012 FSA funds.
WSU employee questions regarding an HSA can be directed to HealthEquity, the HSA plan administrator, at 877-873-8823 or visit http://www.healthequity.com/pebb. Questions regarding an FSA can be directed to ASIFlex, the FSA plan administrator, at 800-659-3035, asi@asiflex.com or visit http://pebb.asiflex.com.
For more information, please contact HRS Pullman at 509-335-4521 or hrs@wsu.edu.