We’re excited to announce that Care+Wear’s PICC line covers are now available on the FSA and HSA store websites! For those of you wondering what FSA or HSA is, we’re about to tell you all about it.
Let’s start by talking about FSA:
First of all, how do you even know if you’re eligible for an FSA?
The three different kinds of FSAs all have different eligibility requirements. However, to be eligible for any of them, you cannot be self-employed. Generally, to be eligible for an FSA, you just have to be an employee of an employer who offers an FSA. You do not need to be covered by a High Deductible Health Plan, have insurance plans, or have health coverage.
What is a Flexible Spending Account (FSA)?
A Flexible Spending Account, or FSA, lets people set aside pre-tax money from their paychecks to spend on out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. This includes co-pays, deductibles, over-the-counter items, and other products. The money that goes into your FSA is pre-tax so you can save as much as 40% of each dollar put into your FSA. The one condition is that you have to spend the money in your FSA on qualified health costs.
Wait, what counts as a qualified healthcare cost?
You can find a list of eligible FSA products and services on the FSA store website here. When you have a qualified health cost, you can pay for it with the pre-tax dollars set aside in your FSA. Without an FSA, you would still pay for these costs, but you would do so with money in your paycheck after taxes have been removed.
How does an FSA account work?
First, you decide how much money to put into your FSA for the coming plan year. Most employers allow a maximum election of $2,500. Your employer will then divide that total amount into smaller, equal portions that will be deducted from each paycheck pre-tax over the course of the year. The money is deducted before you even see your paycheck, making it easier to save. In addition, it reduces your taxable income, providing you with tax savings. Sometimes, your employer may even contribute to your FSA. If they do, these contributions are non-taxable to you and don’t count towards the $2,500 limit.
Are there different names for FSA accounts?
Sometimes, people use the terms “wide open” FSA and “general purpose” FSA. These both refer to a regular FSA.
How many people use FSAs?
Approximately 35 million Americans are covered by FSAs.
Where does the FSA Store fit in here?
FSAstore.com was founded on the idea that it should be easy and convenient for a consumer to use their FSA. It has an inventory of thousands of qualified health products, making it the ideal destination to shop with your FSA. It also has a “Find a Doctor” feature that allows you to find doctors, dentists, acupuncturists, and other healthcare providers. Furthermore, it lists health services that you can pay for out of an FSA to make your life a little bit easier.
Learn more about FSAstore.com here.
Now, let’s move onto HSAs:
How do you know if you’re eligible for an HSA?
To be eligible for qualifying for an HSA, you must meet the following requirements:
- You must be covered under a high deductible health plan (HDHP)
- You have no other health coverage (with a few exceptions listed here)
- You are not enrolled in Medicare
- You cannot be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return
What is an HSA?
A Health Savings Account, or HSA, allows qualified individuals to set aside pre-tax money to pay for qualified medical expenses. HSAs can be used for all medical care costs. This includes deductible amounts, co-pays, co-insurance, over-the-counter medical items, and more. Money contributed to an HSA is exempt from federal income tax, FICA, and income taxes for most states (find out if your state taxes your HAS contributions or earnings here). Money in your HSA account acts like it would in a savings account; it stays there until you use it. In addition, most accounts even earn interest on the savings. Thus, HSA accounts can be valuable savings tools for those planning for their out-of-pocket medical expenses.
What qualifies as an HSA eligible expense?
You can find eligible products and services on the HSA store website here. You can also find a complete list of both HSA-eligible and ineligible expenses here.
How many people use HSAs?
Approximately 11 million Americans have an HSA, with asset holdings totaling more than $20 billion.
Who can contribute to an HSA?
If you’re eligible to open an HSA, you are eligible to contribute to an HSA. Other people can also contribute to your HSA on your behalf. For example, your employer or family members can contribute to your HSA. These contributions are subject to an annual limit. As the account holder, you are responsible for ensuring that these contributions don’t exceed your yearly maximum.
What are HSA account contribution maximums?
For an individual, the maximum is $3,350 for 2016. If you’re participating as a family, the maximum is $6,750. If you’re 55 or older, you may contribute an additional $1,000.
How can I have both an HSA and FSA?
A limited FSA allows you to have both an FSA and an HSA account. A limited FSA is an FSA that is often paired with an HSA. To ensure that an individual remains eligible for an HSA, a limited FSA can be created that only covers very specific items that are not covered under the HSA. These items include dental, vision, or over-the-counter dental and vision products.
In other cases, a limited FSA can also refer to an FSA where the employer has limited the items an employee can expense with the FSA. For example, an FSA could cover only medical deductible and co-pays. This often occurs when the FSA plan must be compatible with another employer plan offering, such as an HSA.
What is the HSA Store?
HSAstore.com is the only one-stop-shop stocked exclusively with HSA-eligible products and services. It prevents consumers from having to second-guess which products are or aren’t reimbursable, a struggle that they often encounter when buying from typical drugstores. Besides for offering HSA-eligible products, HSAstore.com offers the most comprehensive list of HSA-eligible products and services and the HSA learning center.
Read more about HSAstore.com here.
Now, let’s talk about where to find Care+Wear products:
Where exactly do I find Care+Wear products on the FSA and HSA store?
Right now, our Original Black PICC line cover is available on both the FSA and HSA store websites, but we hope to list many more of our products in the future. You can find our cover here on the FSA website and here on the HAS website.
Where else can I find Care+Wear products?
You can also find our products on our website and find other locations here.
Leave a comment (all fields required)