How HRAs Work

Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) are designed to help pay for certain health-related expenses and qualifying insurance premiums incurred by an employee, a former employee, their spouse or their dependents as allowed by the employer’s plan. Balances remaining in the account at the end of the plan year may or may not be carried forward into the next plan period. Because each plan is unique, employees want to make certain that they review their HRA Plan Summary to understand what is eligible under the plan. HRA plan summaries are in the participant portal. Employees log in to their accounts and go to the “Tools & Support” page.
 
Submit a claim online by logging into your account on the participant portal or on the Chard Snyder mobile app for quickest processing and reimbursement. Paper claims can be submitted by fax or mail, but expect longer processing times for these methods. Supporting documentation can be a receipt, a bill, an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) summary, or any documentation that provides the date of service, type of service, service provider’s name, and the charge amount. After the claim and supporting documentation have been reviewed and the expense approved, payment is issued to you via direct deposit (for fastest processing) or check. Sign up for direct deposit on the portal or mobile app. Most reimbursement checks are received within two weeks depending on your plan’s payment option.
 
The plan may require reimbursements are issued from the Healthcare FSA first, if applicable, before HRA funds are used.
 
There is no income tax reporting required when participating in an HRA. The employer-funded contributions are free of federal, state and Social Security taxes and do not appear on W-2s as reported income.