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Save on health care and income taxes

Health care costs can be a big part of your monthly budget. Even with health insurance, you probably have medical expenses that aren’t covered. That’s where HealthPartners® EmpowerSM FSA plan comes in. A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) can help you pay for health care costs with pre-tax dollars. That means more money in your pocket!

What is an FSA?

Think of an FSA as a bank account for medical expenses. Use your FSA to pay for things like:

  • Copayments for a doctor’s visit
  • X-rays
  • Laboratory fees
  • Prescription drugs
  • Hospital expenses
  • Surgery
  • Dental care
  • Vision care

Due to health care reform law, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines will no longer be an eligible medical expense starting January 1, 2011. View a complete list of qualified expenses.

How does an FSA work?

An FSA is an account you put money in from each paycheck before taxes are taken out. You decide how much you want to put into your FSA. This is called your election amount. Then, use your FSA dollars to help pay for health care costs. When you have an eligible health care expense, you simply pay yourself from your FSA. If you use up your FSA dollars, you will be responsible for paying any remaining expenses out of pocket.

How it works

  • You see your network provider, pick up a prescription or have a medical expense.
  • The claim is sent to HealthPartners.
  • We send you money out of your FSA by check or direct deposit.
  • You pay the bill from your doctor if you didn't pay at the time of your visit.

Key FSA details

  • Understand your options —You may be able to choose a health care FSA, a Dependent Care FSA or both. Check with your employer for more information.
  • Know your maximum election — Your employer will set your minimum and maximum FSA amounts. Check with your employer for details.
  • Carefully estimate your FSA election — Think about how much you spend each year on health care. That is how much you will want to put into your FSA. You can estimate your costs with HealthPartners cost calculators at healthpartners.com.
  • Use it or lose it — You will lose any money left in your FSA at the end of the plan year. Usually, there is a "run-out" period at the end of the year that lets you catch up on any claims you missed. The length of the "runout" period is set by your employer. Check with your employer to find out more.