FAQs about Health Reimbursement Agreements
If I swipe my debit card at a dental office will the funds come from my health savings account or my limited purpose flexible spending account first?
The card will take available funds from the purpose flexible spending account first because it is a covered limited purpose expense.
What happens if I don’t have enough funds in my limited purpose flexible spending account to cover an eligible expense?
The debit card will take what funds are available from the limited purpose flexible spending account and take the remaining balance (if any) from your health savings account if available.
What happens if I swipe my card for an eligible FSA expense, but I want it to come from my health savings account?
The debit card will take available funds from your eligible FSA benefit first if the provider/merchant has the item/service on their debit card machine coded correctly. Keep in mind the date of service you are swiping your card for. If your expense is not eligible for the FSA benefit or was rendered in a prior plan year (and funds are exhausted) you would need to repay the ineligible swipe on your FSA benefit and then, if you choose, make a distribution from your health savings account for the expense amount.
What happens if I swipe my card for a non-eligible limited purpose expense, and I don’t have funds left in my limited purpose flexible spending account?
The card will recognize that the swipe is for a non-eligible expense and take the money from your health savings account if available.
What if I swipe my card for a dental/vision expense and it comes from my health savings account?
This could have happened because your provider/merchant has the item/service or their debit/credit card machine coded differently. You can submit the eligible expense for reimbursement from your Flexible Spending Account. If you choose to pay back the funds to your health savings account you can do so by sending a check with a completed HSA Excess Distribution Request.
How do I submit receipts?
Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statements received from your insurance carrier must be submitted for reimbursement requests from your HRA benefit. EOB statements can be submitted online by accessing your account through My Alerus, or through the Alerus Benefits mobile app.
My debit card is not working. How can I check the status of my account?
Log in to My Alerus, locate your plan under Accounts. Select Banking/Cards from the Accounts tab to view your debit card status. For help logging in, refer to Benefits Account Access.
Why do you ask for receipts?
Alerus is required to substantiate each claim by reviewing receipts, explanation of benefits, and/or claim forms to ensure expenses meet applicable regulations. Documentation should be itemized to show:
- Date of service
- Provider of service
- Service being claimed
- Amount you are responsible for paying