Must an annual 5500 report be filed for an HRA?
A 5500 is only required where the plan covers more than 100 participants.
Must the employer report HRA benefits on the employees’ W-2?
No.
Does an HRA affect employees who are eligible for Medicare Part D?
If you have employees, or retired employees covered by the plan at the beginning of the plan year, who are eligible for Medicare Part D and who are enrolled in your group health plan and health reimbursement arrangement (HRA), the employer must provide them with a letter of creditable or non-creditable coverage. An employee is […]
Does the employer need to offer COBRA continuation for an HRA?
Yes, employers required to offer COBRA must include the HRA. The premium for the HRA component is calculated as the average benefit paid out in the last year plus cost of administration plus 2%.
Can a former employee who elects COBRA spend accumulated amounts on expenses incurred after employment?
Yes.
What types of employers can establish an HRA?
An HRA may be established for any single employer or certain “related” employers. The employer installing an HRA may be of any ownership form (sole-proprietor, corporation, partnership, etc.). However, only owners of a “C” corporation may benefit directly from the plan. Certain individuals within the company, however, are prohibited from participating in the plan. Owners: […]
What if I don’t have enough money in my HSA when I need to make a payment?
HSAs act just like a regular checking account in that you can only spend what has been deposited to date. Just like your personal checking account, checks can bounce and debit cards will reject if there isn’t enough money in your account. You should always watch your health savings account balance via on-line access and/or […]
Who determines if HSA distributions are used exclusively for qualified medical expenses?
The HSA owner is responsible for using the account within the rules. As you are purchasing medical goods and services, you should save your itemized receipts showing date of service, patient name, services rendered and how much insurance paid, if any. If you are ever personally audited, you will be asked to present receipts for […]
Does an HSA pay for the same things that regular insurance pays for?
HSA funds can pay for any “qualified medical expense”, even if the expense is not covered by your health plan. For example, most health insurance does not cover the cost of prescription eyeglasses, but you can use your HSA dollars to pay for those. If the money from the HSA is used for qualified medical […]
How do I know what is included as “qualified medical expenses”?
Unfortunately, we cannot provide a definitive list of “qualified medical expenses”. A partial list is provided in IRS Pub 502 (available at www.irs.gov). To be an expense for medical care, the expense has to be primarily for the prevention or alleviation of a physical or mental illness. The determination often hangs on the word “primarily.” […]