FSA Question

[randomkid]

DH didn't have an FSA account this past year because he started a new job and you have to have been there a year to participate. I had one and still have a bit of money left in there. Even though DH isn't technically my dependent, can I submit a health care bill of his for my reimbursement? He has one large bill from a trip to the ED that would make this so much easier. If I can't use it, I'll have to nickel and dime with OTCs and prescriptions until I reach almost $200. FWIW, DH is the insurance carrier and we are all under him (if that makes a difference).

Thanks!

[Swimfreak78]

I submit items for my DS and DH on my FSA.

[mommylamb]

Do you file your taxes jointly? I think that's the issue. We file our taxes jointly and I always claim DH on my FSA.

[american_mama]

I am confused. If the insurance is in your DH's name, how is it you who has an FSA? I think you could get anyone's expenses reimbursed under FSA if that person is also covered under the insured person's plan. In our family, DH has the insurance and the whole family is covered under that and can all have our expenses covered under FSA.

If you have your own insurance covering only you and your own FSA, I don't think you can get your DH or kids' expenses covered under it.

eta: Does your FSA work that each insured person gets their own FSA, and you set one up for you and one up for DH? If that's the case, I don't know. I have never had an FSA like that.

[BayGirl2]

Yes, a flexible spending account covers anyone in the family. If you file separately or both have an FSA then that may complicate things, you can't double count. DH and I share an account, and use my FSA but are covered by his company's insurance, no issue.

I think the pp may be referring to a Healthcare Savings Account (HSA) or something else which is not the same thing. FSAs have nothing to do with who or whether you have insurance.

[lilycat88]

All of our insurance...medical, vision, dental...are through my husband's employer. I have the FSA through my employer. We use the FSA for all family members. We do it that way so the preminums come out of his paycheck and the flex plan contributions come out of mine. I make more than he does so it makes sense that the higher amount come out of mine.

[randomkid]

I am confused. If the insurance is in your DH's name, how is it you who has an FSA? I think you could get anyone's expenses reimbursed under FSA if that person is also covered under the insured person's plan. In our family, DH has the insurance and the whole family is covered under that and can all have our expenses covered under FSA.

If you have your own insurance covering only you and your own FSA, I don't think you can get your DH or kids' expenses covered under it.

eta: Does your FSA work that each insured person gets their own FSA, and you set one up for you and one up for DH? If that's the case, I don't know. I have never had an FSA like that.

DH works full time and I work part time. He carries the insurance because it costs less since he is full time. The whole family (including me) is on his insurance. We both have the ability to have an FSA because we are both employed. In the past, we have both put money into our FSAs and gotten reimbursed for our own expenses. I would use mine and his for DD and his for DSDs because I wasn't sure of the rules. This past year, he wasn't eligible to contribute to an FSA because he was new to his job and, in this company, you have to be there a year before you can contribute. No strange setup like an FSA for each person, we are just able to have 2 since we both work.

ETA: In the past, we both contributed to FSAs for healthcare and dependent care because we could put more in that way. We have 3 kids as well as ourselves with medical expenses. Usually, it is no problem having enough medical expense to use up both accounts. Fortunately, we didn't have a lot of expenses last year, so I'm glad he didn't have an account. It would have been a struggle to get all of our money back. Dependent care was no problem because DD was in daycare. This year, only I contributed to dependent care because she is in school and we only have to pay for extended care. As a PP said, the insurance comes out of DH's paycheck and the FSA comes out of mine.

[klwa]

Do you file your taxes jointly? I think that's the issue. We file our taxes jointly and I always claim DH on my FSA.

:yeahthat: DH is on his own insurance, but I'm the only one who contributes to an FSA. His expenses come out of mine. In fact, we were told NOT to have seperate FSA's, but to put it in the name of the person who made the least.

[momm]

Short answer, yes you can.

They don't even care that it's for someone in the family.

DH has FSA from his work, and we bought many things that were not specifically for him. Under his FSA. I don't think they checked anything but the receipt, which would either have his credit card/ name or mine.

We only submit the receipts and it doesn't even say who it's for