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Health Care FSA

The Health Care FSA provides for reimbursement of eligible health care expenses incurred by the participant and his/her eligible dependents.

If you elect benefits under this portion of the plan, a non-interest bearing bookkeeping account will be set up to keep a record of before-tax contributions allocated to the account and the reimbursements for eligible health care expenses to which you are entitled during the plan year. No actual account is established; it is merely a bookkeeping account.

If you are no longer employed with Stanford or halt participation in an FSA and have a balance on the MyCash feature of the debit card, you will be assessed a monthly administrative fee by the card issuer which is automatically deducted from your MyCash funds. 

Plan Information

Overview

 

Contribute pre-tax dollars to the Health Care FSA to pay for eligible medical, dental, prescription drugs, orthodontia and vision expenses not covered by your health care plans.

The Flexible Spending Accounts are managed by TASC. You can use this account to pay these expenses for yourself and your dependents, even if your dependents are not covered by a Stanford health care plan. The IRS limit for the amount of pre-tax money that you may contribute to your Health Care FSA in 2019 is $2,650; the limit for 2020 is $2,700.

How to Enroll

Elect to participate during the annual open enrollment period or after you've experienced a qualifying life event.

If you are a current participant and fail to re-enroll during open enrollment, your Health Care FSA will not roll over into the next plan year. 

How it Works

  1. Determine the amount of unreimbursed eligible health care - medical, prescription drugs, dental, orthodontia and vision - expenses you (and where applicable, your eligible family members) will likely incur during the plan year. Keep in mind the IRS limit for pre-tax contributions to your Health Care FSA  in 2019 is $2,650; the limit for 2020 is $2,700.

  2. Elect to have Stanford withhold an annual amount which will be withheld in equal amounts from your pay on a pre-tax basis for reimbursement of these expenses. Elect wisely as only $500 of unused funds may be carried over to the next plan year. The annual amount will be available in your TASC account the day after your first paycheck in which a deduction is taken. 
  3. Payment can be made directly to providers using your Stanford FSA debit card
  4. Any remaining unused dollars will be forfeited. You have until April 30 to submit claims for reimbursement from the previous plan year that ends December 31. In mid-May, you can log on to the TASC website to view your carryover balance.
How to Submit Claims

You have three options for submitting your Health Care FSA claims:

  1. Pay for eligible health care expenses directly using your Stanford FSA debit card
  2. Submit your claim through TASC, Stanford's FSA administrator
  3. Complete a Health Care FSA Claim Form and submit a receipt for each expense incurred

Resources

 Visit TASC to learn more about how to file FSA claims


Read the Summary Plan Document for your FSA

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding Health Care Flexible Spending Account plan.

View the complete list of FAQ

View Health Care FSA Carryover FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Health Care FSA

If you enroll, you and your eligible dependents are covered under your Health Care FSA even if you do not cover them under other Stanford benefit plans. For details on who is considered your dependent, see enrollment and eligibility.

Note:

Federal law only recognizes opposite-sex and same-sex spouses as being eligible for this program.

Current IRS rules do not allow you to be reimbursed for domestic partner expenses through an FSA. Even if you cover your registered domestic partner under Stanford benefit plans, you may not submit Health Care FSA claims. The exception is if your partner is considered a “qualifying relative” and a “tax dependent” according the Internal Revenue Code rules. For further guidance, please consult your tax advisor.

NOTE:

You can submit eligible claims for children of your registered domestic partner who depend on you for support and who live with you in a regular parent/child relationship.

You can contribute up to $2,650 per year to your Health Care FSA.

highly compensated employees:

Each year, FSA plans must pass a non-discrimination test to show they do not favor highly compensated employees regarding eligibility, contributions and benefits. If Stanford’s FSA plans do not pass the test, Stanford may reduce your election(s) during the year if you are a highly compensated employee as defined by the Internal Revenue Code. We will notify you if it becomes necessary to reduce your contributions.

The Stanford FSA debit card is a convenience feature of the FSA plan that allows you to have access to your account funds for eligible health care expenses right at the point of service—at the pharmacy counter or doctor’s office.

When you enroll in a Health Care FSA or a Dependent Day Care FSA, you will automatically receive a Stanford FSA debit card from TASC. You can use your card with any provider who accepts it.

To order additional cards for your dependents, log into MyTASC and under "I Want to:" click on the "Manage My Card" link. When the new window opens, under Dependent Cards click on the "Request Card" button and enter the name of your dependent who will be using the card.

note:

If you are no longer employed with Stanford or halt participation in an FSA and have a balance on the MyCash feature of the debit card, you will be assessed a monthly administrative fee by the card issuer which is automatically deducted from your MyCash funds.

The IRS requires the FSA administrator to request proof of payment on some claims to ensure they are part of the list of IRS approved expenses. Be sure to save all receipts when using your Stanford FSA debit card. You can send in an itemized receipt and your medical, dental or vision plan’s Explanation of Benefits. The IRS does not allow cancelled checks, credit card statements or balance-due statements as supporting documentation with your claim form.

Your reimbursement will automatically be placed in your MyCash account which is associated with your debit card. If you would like your monies to go into a bank account go to http://partners.tasconline.com/Stanford and in MyTASC under “I want to:” click the Set Up Direct Deposit link and enter your banking information.

For questions about your claims payment, call TASC Customer Care at 855-842-4913 Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM. Claims for reimbursement are processed daily. Reimbursement monies are payable to you, not to the provider.

Yes, you can use your debit card for these purchases. Unfortunately, not all mail order pharmacies have implemented the IRS-required technology that proves the purchase is valid without submitting a receipt. Keep your receipts since you may be asked to provide documentation.

You can submit these receipts online. Log into MyTASC  at partners.tasconline.com/stanford and under "I Want to:" click "Request a Reimbursement". If a receipt is needed to substantiate a debit card transaction, the VeriFlex column will say "Receipts Required" with a blue link to download a VeriFlex cover sheet. Please complete the form and attach a copy of the receipt and fax back to the number on the form.

Generally no, over-the-counter medicines are not eligible for reimbursement. However, if your doctor provides a prescription prior to purchase, you can receive reimbursement for the cost of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and drugs. This rule does not apply to reimbursements for the cost of insulin, even if purchased without a prescription.

If you purchase OTC medicines, you cannot use your debit card. You must file a claim along with a copy of the prescription and include an itemized receipt showing the date, the name of the product, and the cost.

If the receipt from your pharmacy/provider doesn’t indicate the name of the OTC product or service, you will need to request a written itemized receipt at the point of purchase.

Equipment and supplies such as crutches, bandages and blood sugar test kits still qualify for reimbursement, even if purchased without a prescription. For additional information, please refer to www.irs.gov.

Because FSAs give you the opportunity to pay for your eligible expenses using before-tax dollars, there is no need to itemize your expenses on your tax return. You can also use it throughout the year instead of waiting until tax time. Please consult your tax advisor to determine which method is best for you.