Federal Employee's CSRS & FERS Federal Civil Service Retirement
& Financial Planning Resources
Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS)
Under the IRS Code, annuitants (other than re-employed
annuitants whose employment status is full-time) cannot participate
in an FSA. An FSA is a way to set aside part of your salary "before
taxes" for payment of eligible expenses. An annuity is not considered
salary.
If you're an employee who works for an Executive branch agency or an agency
that has adopted the Federal Flexible Benefits Plan ("FedFlex"), you can elect
to participate in the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS).
FSAFEDS offers three different flexible spending accounts (FSAs): a health
care flexible spending account, a limited expense health care flexible spending
account, and a dependent care flexible spending account.
Eligible employees can enroll in FSAFEDS each year during the Federal
Benefits Open Season (the November/December timeframe). Open Season enrollments
are effective January 1 of the following year. Current enrollees must remember
to enroll each year to continue participating in FSAFEDS. Enrollment
does NOT carry forward year to year.
New and newly eligible employees who wish to enroll in this program must do
so within 60 days after they become eligible, but before October 1 of the
calendar year.
For further information, visit
www.FSAFEDS.com or call 1-877-372-3337. TTY 1-800-952-0450.
Eligibility
If you are eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program
and are an active employee of the Executive Branch or of another agency that
participates in FSAFEDS, you are eligible to participate in a health care FSA
with FSAFEDS. You need only be eligible to participate in FEHB, you do not need
to be currently enrolled.
There is no household limit on the amount of money that you can set aside for
a HCFSA or LEX HCFSA, although the FSAFEDS limit per Federal employee is $5,000
($10,000 for a "Federal couple"). If your spouse is not a "Fed", and has access
to an FSA, he or she may enroll up to the maximum of his or her own company's
health care account.
A LEX HCFSA is for employees enrolled in a Federal Employees Health Benefits
(FEHB) Program High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with a Health Savings Account
(HSA), or whose spouse is enrolled in a non-FEHB HDHP with an HSA. The LEX HCFSA
is limited to eligible dental and vision expenses only. Under IRS rules, you are
not eligible to contribute to an HSA and be enrolled in a FSAFEDS general
purpose HCFSA at the same time. Go to
http://www.opm.gov/hsa if
you want to learn more about HDHPs and HSAs.
Under the IRS Code, annuitants (other than re-employed
annuitants whose employment status is full-time) cannot participate in
an FSA. An FSA is a way to set aside part of your salary "before taxes"
for payment of eligible expenses. An annuity is not considered salary.
Enrollment
Eligible employees can enroll in FSAFEDS each year during the Federal
Benefits Open Season (the November/December timeframe). Open Season enrollments
are effective January 1 of the following year. Current enrollees must
remember to enroll each year to continue participating in FSAFEDS. Enrollment
does NOT carry forward year to year.
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