Healthcare Flexible Spending Account
- Use the healthcare FSA to pay for eligible healthcare expenses for you, your spouse or your tax-dependent children. Your spouse and children don't need to be enrolled in Carilion's medical or dental plans for you to use the healthcare FSA for their expenses.
- The FSA cannot be used to pay for healthcare expenses for a domestic partner or a child who is not your tax dependent. This is a federal tax requirement.
- Eligible expenses are determined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Visit Optum Financials website for a list of FSA eligible expenses. Or review this flyer for examples.
- IRS guidelines require some FSA expenses to be documented as medically necessary with either a prescription from your physician or a Letter of Medical Necessity.
- The provider must indicate the specific diagnosis, the specific treatment needed, the length of treatment and how the treatment will help the medical condition.
- The signed prescription or Note of Medical Necessity must be completed and dated prior to the first date of service or product purchased. You will need to submit the prescription or Note of Medical Necessity with the first claim you submit for the service or product.
- A prescription or Note of Medical Necessity is good for 12 months. If your treatment continues beyond 12 months, you'll need to provide an updated prescription or Note of Medical Necessity every 12 months during your treatment for it to be considered an eligible expense.
- For 2026 you can contribute up to $3,400 per year for your healthcare FSA.
- You can spend the dollars in your account on out-of-pocket healthcare expenses through March 15 of the following year. Any dollars not spent by March 15 will be forfeited.
- All claims must be filed by March 31 following the end of the plan year.
- Create a secure account through Optum Financials website to view up-to-date account balance information, make changes to your personal information and order additional cards.
- If you pay for an FSA eligible expense out-of-pocket, you may submit a manual claim form for reimbursement.
If you leave Carilion mid-year, you are able to submit claims for reimbursement for expenses that incurred up to the last day of the month in which you were employed. You have until March 31 of the following year to submit documentation for reimbursement of FSA eligible expenses that incurred up until the last day of the month of separation or retirement date.
- When you enroll in our healthcare FSA, you'll receive an FSA debit card from our FSA vendor, Optum Financial, that you use to pay for eligible healthcare expenses. Using the debit card allows you to use the money in your FSA directly, rather than paying for the service up front and then filing a claim for reimbursement.
- When you receive your card, it is loaded with the entire amount of your annual election so you can begin using it on your eligibility date for healthcare expenses.
- If your provider does not accept the FSA debit card, you can file a claim for reimbursement by visiting www.optumfinancial.com and submitting a claim through the web portal. You have the option to receive a check by mail or sign up for direct deposit. You can also submit a claim for reimbursement by using the Optum Financial mobile app on your mobile device.
- Save all of your receipts. The IRS requires all expenses be properly documented as FSA eligible.
- For purchases that do not match our plans' copay amounts or are not made at an IRS-approved retailer, Optum Financial will send you a request for documentation, such as an explanation of benefits from your insurance carrier. This request will be sent by mail to your home or to an email address that you provide.
- If you are enrolled in our Aetna medical plan or Delta Dental plan, Optum will review claims data for the date of purchase. If the claim is an IRS approved expense, your transaction will clear without the need to submit paperwork.
- If you do not provide documentation that your expense is eligible or do not repay the plan within 195 days of the transaction date, your debit card will be suspended and deactivated. Once you resolve the transaction in question, either by providing appropriate documentation or by repaying the plan, you'll be able to use your debit card again.
- You will be taxed on the amount of any transaction not verified by the end of the plan year and appropriate taxes will be withheld.
- You should consult a financial or tax advisor for more information on the tax implications for your specific situation.
You will be asked to create an account on HealthSafe ID in order to access your log in screen on the Optum Financial mobile app and desktop portal. HealthSafe ID is a security platform that offers the added protection of two-factor authentication. Once you create an account on HealthSafe ID, you will be taken to the portal for Optum Financial, where you will be able to log in using your already established log in and password.
When creating an account on the HealthSafe ID website, click "register now" and follow the prompts to create an account.
HealthSafe ID is a universal multifactor authentication security application used by other healthcare companies, if you have already created a username and password for HealthSafe ID, you may use your existing credentials to link all of your accounts.
Click here for more information about HealthSafe ID.
Visit www.optumfinancial.com and from the “Employee” drop down box, select “New User Registration”. Follow the prompts to create an online account.
Get access to your Optum Financial account with the free Optum Financial Mobile Application. The Optum Financial app makes it easy for you to access your FSA account at any time. Available for Apple and Android smartphones.
The Optum Financial mobile app lets you:
- View your account balance and manage your account funds.
- Request reimbursement and view transaction history.
- View your account debit card, purchases and submit documentation (if applicable).
- View a list of common eligible expense items.
For more information and instructions on how to register, please review the Optum website.
If you still have funds in your FSA account from the previous years, any debit card transactions between January 1 and March 15 will be paid using the previous year's funds. This is to ensure you do not forfeit those funds.
We encourage you to file claims for the previous year before using the debit card for the current year's expenses.
If you make a purchase that is determined to not be eligible for the FSA, you will need to repay the plan. Repayment options:
- Send a check to Optum Financial to repay the plan.
- Or, submit claims for the FSA-eligible purchases you have made out-of-pocket to offset the eligible amount.
Optum Financial Customer Service: 877-292-4040
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
