Flexible Benefit Plans: HCRA & DCRA Grace Period Ends 3/15/2013

Did you mean hickory, dickory, dock?  No – HCRA and DCRA are voluntary flexible benefit plans that allow for the setup of a Health Care Reimbursement Account (HCRA) or Dependent Care Reimbursement Account (DCRA) for eligible CSU state employees.

If you were a participant in HCRA and/or DCRA through December 31, 2012, the CSU offers a 2 ½ month grace period extension from January 1, 2013, through March 15, 2013.  Participants who have any remaining funds in a 2012 HCRA and/or DCRA account can be reimbursed for out-of-pocket medical or dependent care expenses incurred from January 1, 2013, through March 15, 2013. If you re-enrolled for 2013, any claims incurred during the grace period will be automatically applied to any unused funds from the 2012 plan year (includes FSA Debit Card participants).

You can also request that claims incurred between January 1st and March 15th be applied to the 2013 plan year balance rather than the 2012 plan year balance. Such requests must be made in writing to ASI Flex, the third party administrator.

• The deadline to incur expenses during the 2 ½ month grace period is March 15, 2013.
• The deadline to submit 2012 claims for reimbursement is June 30, 2013.

After these deadlines have passed, all unused 2012 HCRA/DCRA account balances will be forfeited, per IRS regulations.

This information is provided by the Human Resources Service Center – Benefits unit, benefits@csuchico.edu, (530) 898-5436.  Please review the flyer and contact ASI Flex directly with specific HCRA and DCRA questions.