Colleagues,
Hello. I hope this message finds you well. The recently signed CARES Act (Coronavirus Aide, Relief, and Economic Security Act) enacts some changes to our Health Care Spending Account. Specifically,
- Over-the-counter drugs and medicines can be paid for or reimbursed without a doctor’s prescription.
- Menstrual care products are now considered a qualified medical expense and are eligible for payment or reimbursement. All expenses incurred after December 31, 2019 qualify, and the provision has no expiration date.
WageWorks is currently working on programming to the debit card as well as to the list of qualified medical expenses to account for these changes. Programming should be completed soon. In the meantime, if an enrollee incurs a cost for an item that is newly eligible that wasn’t correctly adjudicated as FSA eligible, the claim can be submitted through the app or online. Communication on these changes will be posted on our website. Current enrollees will also receive a communication. Details will follow. Please help distribute this information to your members.
In addition, the deadline for submitting for reimbursement for the Health Care Spending Account and the Dependent Care Advantage Account has been extended from March 31 to April 30 to allow enrollees more time to submit claims for the 2019 plan year. Enrollees with an account balance were emailed a notice with the new deadline.
In Solidarity,
Ken Kern
Chapter President
UUP Buffalo Center Chapter