June FSA Mailbag! Recapping your best Learning Center questions

Each month, we receive hundreds of great questions from our customers about everything relating to FSAs in ourFSA Learning Center. This past May, we received a bunch of fantastic questions relating to product eligibility and account coverage, which may be helpful to other FSA users as well.

Here are our favorite Learning Center questions that could help you see your consumer-directed healthcare account in a new way. And if you have a question of your own, feel free to drop by and ask a question and we'll respond ASAP!

"Does an Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) have to be signed by an M.D.?"

Anyone who is qualified to diagnose and assign treatment of a legitimate medical condition can fill out a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN), but it is left up to the benefits administrator to determine whether this product/service would be eligible for FSA reimbursement. Before making an appointment with a doctor or specialist regarding a specific medical product/treatment, check with your benefits administrator to ensure that they will accept an LMN from this individual.

"My podiatrist wrote me a prescription for orthopedic shoes. Since it's medically necessary, can they be purchased using my FSA card?"

Ask your benefits administrator! Orthopedic shoes may be a qualifying expense with appropriate documentation, such as a letter stating that they are medically necessary to treat a specified condition, or, as shoes are a common everyday expense, it may be that your administrator will only reimburse you for the difference in cost of the specialty shoes over the cost of regular shoes. Check with your FSA plan administrator to see what is required to be reimbursed for the cost of orthopedic shoes and what exactly can be reimbursed.

"How do I get reimbursed for a prescription I paid for with my own money?"

FSA users can pay for qualifying prescriptions and other products/services with their FSA debit cards. Qualifying products/services that are purchased with one's own money can be reimbursed by filing a claim. Hold onto any receipts/invoices you may have for qualifying purchases, as these will be submitted with a claim form to your benefits administrator to process for reimbursement.

"Changing jobs and old FSA balances - how can I use those balances after I leave employer?"

You should liquidate your balance BEFORE leaving your employer. Employees who switch jobs have the freedom to spend whatever they allocated to their FSAs before leaving their position, as these funds will be forfeited if they are not used before termination. Employees also have the option of opening another FSA at their next job provided that it's offered.

"May I use my FSA for a dependent who has turned 26?"

You may submit eligible expenses for reimbursement for products/services incurred by your adult children up to age 26. Each plan will define at what point a dependent will no longer be qualified, which may be the day in which they turn 26 or the end of the plan year for the year in which they turn 26, so you will need to contact your FSA administrator for further details on your plan.

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