Benefits

Healthcare Reimbursement Account (HCRA)

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: 

  1. If you are a new employee, you can enroll within 60 days of your hire date.

  2. Continuing employees may enroll during the annual open enrollment period in September/October for the following calendar year (January 1 through December 31).

  3. If your employment status changes, you may qualify to enroll at that time.  Consult with your Benefits representative.

  4. After your initial enrollment, you must re-enroll every year during the open enrollment period.

  5. 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.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How much money can I put into the account?

  • You may contribute a minimum of $20 per month up to a maximum of $254.16 per month for 2024.

What happens if I put more money in the account than I need?

  1. You lose the money. This is an IRS (Internal Revenue Service) regulation. 

  2. To avoid losing money, try to anticipate your costs for the upcoming year. Estimate carefully by checking your records for dependent care costs for the past year and money you contribute, but do not file claims for costs that will be irrecoverable.

How do I get reimbursed?

Fill out the claim form: http://www.asiflex.com and submit your form via mail, fax or online.

1. To mail these documents:

ASI

P.O. Box 6044

Columbia, MO 65205-6044

2. To fax these documents:

FAX: (877) 879-9038

3. Online through http://www.asiflex.com

How much will I be reimbursed?

  • You will be reimbursed for the full amount of all eligible expenses up to the amount currently in your account. Excess expenses will be paid as soon as additional money is available in your account.

  • There is no minimum claim amount.

  • The total amount of your reimbursements cannot exceed the amount of your yearly contribution.

With the cost of gasoline so high, is there a way to get reimbursed for mileage?

  1. Mileage incurred traveling to and from your medical provider is reimbursable.

  2. For services provided from July 1, 2011, forward, the reimbursement rate is $.235/mile, in accordance with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 

  3. To submit a claim for mileage expenses, please list the number of miles, the date of service and the expected reimbursement amount. No other documentation is required. 

  4. For additional information on submitting HCRA mileage, visit http://www.asiflex.com.

Is there a deadline for submitting my claim forms?

  • Yes. You may submit your claims for a given year up to June 30th of the following year. After June 30th you lose any remaining balance.