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Quick
Links
Click
Here for Frequently Asked Questions
Click
Here for HRA Forms & Applications
Click
Here to Access Your Account
Click
Here for Eligible Expenses
Chard
Snyder is also pleased to provide the EBIA's Health Care
Expenses Table classifying over 300 common health care expenses
as "qualifying," "not qualifying," or "potentially qualifying"
for the Healthcare FSA, HRA or employer sponsored HSA.
Numerous OTC items are included as well. Please click
here to access this list or review the list below for
some basic guidelines for determining eligible and ineligible
expenses under your plan.
Health
Reimbursement Arrangement
Both
employers and employees enjoy the benefits of Health Reimbursement
Arrangement (HRA). Benefits included in an HRA are:
-
use
employer contributions to pay for employer specified eligible
out-of-pocket expenses.
- use
employer contributions to pay for employer
specified
eligible
health insurance premiums.
Debit
Card Option -
click
here for more information on the debit card option, if offered
by your
employer
in conjunction with your plan.
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
How
do participants benefit from the HRA plan?
How
does the plan work?
How
do employees participate?
Can
participants control contributions going into the plan?
How
do participants receive reimbursements?
What
is an eligible expense?
Do
funds carry over at the end of the plan period?
Do
employees need to enroll each plan period?
How
is the plan regulated?
Who
do I contact for more information?
How
do participants benefit from an HRA plan?
The HRA plan benefits participants by allowing
them to be reimbursed up to a specified amount each year
for certain eligible healthcare expenses. Each dollar that
goes into the plan is provided by the employer for the purpose
of healthcare expenses, so the benefit is free from federal,
state and Social Security taxes.
How
does the plan work?
The employer identifies who is eligible (i.e. all
employees with over ninety days of service) within discrimination
requirements, the contribution amount (i.e. $600.00 per
year per eligible employee payable at $50.00 per month),
and the duration of the plan period (though not required,
employers often select an annual plan period to coincide
with other health-related benefits). Participants receive
contributions in an account and submit claims for reimbursement
of approved expenses.
How
do employees participate?
All
eligible employees are automatically enrolled in the plan
unless they specify their intent not to participate. Participants
submit requests and receive reimbursements for approved
expenses incurred on or after the start of the HRA plan.
Please note that employers are permitted to require reimbursements
to be paid out of a participant's Healthcare FSA (if applicable)
before HRA funds can be utilized.
Can
participants control contributions going into the plan?
Participants are not permitted to make any changes
to the contribution amounts set forth by the employer.
How
do participants receive reimbursements?
Participants can fax, email or mail claims and
supporting documentation directly to Chard Snyder. Supporting
documentation can be a receipt, a bill, and/or a signed
affidavit validating the eligible expense. After the claim
has been reviewed and the expense approved, payment is then
issued to the participant via direct deposit or a check.
Claims are processed daily and payments are issued at least
once per week.
What
is an eligible expense?
An
eligible expense is any healthcare expense incurred by a
participant, their spouse, or dependent, that is approved
by the IRS and eligible for reimbursement under the plan
as specified by the employer. In addition to out-of-pocket
healthcare expenses, an HRA plan may or may not also allow
for health insurance premiums to be reimbursed. Please note
that expenses reimbursed through the plan cannot be itemized
and resubmitted through an income tax return or any other
benefit plan.
Do funds carry over at the end
of the plan period?
Any unused amounts left in the accounts at the
end of the plan period may or may not be carried over into
the next plan period. Participants have access to these
funds from year to year as long as they remain an eligible
employee and carryover is permitted by their employer. HRA
plans can even be designed to allow access to funds after
a participant has terminated employment, if permitted by
the employer.
Do
employees need to enroll each plan period?
All eligible employees must sign a notification
form for each plan period. Although there is no need for
re-enrollment, employees may specify their intent not to
renew participation.
How
is the plan regulated?
In addition
to regulations brought forth from Section 105 of the Internal
Revenue Code, HRA plans are also regulated in part or in
whole by the following entities and legislation:
Department
of Labor
Federal,
State and Local Courts
Internal Revenue Service
Pension Welfare Benefits Administration
US
Congress
COBRA
ERISA
HIPAA
Section
104
Section
106
Section 152
Section 213
Section 404
Section 419
Please
contact our office with any questions about plan regulations.
Who
do I contact for more information?
If you need assistance with an HRA plan, please
contact us.
HRA
BENEFIT CATEGORY
Health
Reimbursement Arrangement
The
Health Reimbursement Arrangement allows for certain healthcare
expenses to be reimbursed. Employer contributions are placed
in a special account to be used by participants for eligible
expenses. Participants may receive reimbursements up to
the total amount contributed by the employer.
There
is no income tax reporting required when participating in
this account. The employer-funded contributions are free
of federal, state and (in most cases) Social Security taxes
and do not even appear on a W-2 as reported income.
Reimbursements are
received by faxing, emailing or mailing claims and supporting
documentation directly to Chard Snyder. Supporting documentation
can be a receipt, a bill, an explanation of benefits summary
and/or any documentation that provides the date of service,
the type of service and the amount. After the claim has
been reviewed and the expense approved, payment is then
issued to the participant via direct deposit or a check.
Claims are processed daily and payments are issued at least
once per week.
Reimbursements are
only issued for employer specified eligible out-of-pocket
healthcare expenses and for qualifying insurance premiums
incurred by a participant, a former participant, their spouse
or their dependents, as permitted by the employer. Funds
remaining in the account at the end of the plan may or may
not be carried forward into the next plan period.
The employer determines eligibility for this benefit (within
discrimination requirements) and the contributions to be
provided. An employer may require reimbursements to be issued
from the Healthcare FSA first (if applicable) before HRA
funds can be utilized.
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