The CSU offers eligible employees the opportunity to participate in a Health Care Reimbursement Account (HCRA), or flexible spending account. An HCRA is a way to pay health care expenses with pre-tax dollars. The HCRA is administered by ASIFlex, a third party administrator.
All employees except faculty participating in the Faculty Early Enrollment Program (FERP) and retirees who have been rehired, can establish an HCRA. When you enroll in a Flexible Spending Account, you decide how much to contribute to each account for the entire Plan Year. The money is then deducted from your paycheck, pre-tax (before Federal & State income taxes and FICA taxes are deducted) in equal amounts over the course of the plan year. After you incur expenses that qualify for reimbursement, you submit claims (reimbursement requests) to ASIFlex to request tax-free withdrawals from your Flexible Spending Account to reimburse yourself for these expenses.
Examples of covered expenses include:
- Healthcare deductibles
- Co-payments
- Prescription drugs
- Certain over-the-counter medicines, with prescription from a health care provider
- LASIK surgery
Examples of non-covered expenses:
- Insurance premiums
- Long-term care expenses
- Health club dues
- Cosmetic surgery
Enrollment:
If you are a new employee, you can enroll within 60 days of your hire date.
Continuing employees may enroll during the annual open enrollment period in September/October for the following calendar year (January 1 through December 31).
If your employment status changes, you may qualify to enroll at that time. Consult with your Benefits representative.
After your initial enrollment, you must re-enroll every year during the open enrollment period.
There is a $1.00 administrative fee deducted from your salary every month.
For more information, refer to the HCRA Plan Brochure, the ASI Flex website, IRS Publication 502 ,the FAQs below, or consult your Benefits representative.