Save money and time                                          with your  Benefits Card

Quickly and easily pay for eligible healthcare expenses using pre-tax dollars.

Check with your employer to find out if you’re eligible.

How to use your Benefits Card

Is it a debit card or a credit card?

Your Benefits Card is a debit card. You use it to access the money you set aside for your pre-tax purchases. When you make a purchase, the business will run it like a normal credit card. Just remember these differences:

  1. You can only use it at specific stores and on eligible expenses. But don’t worry: The card is smart enough to deny a purchase of milk (an ineligible expense) but approve the purchase of bandages (an eligible expense) at the same store, for example.
  2. Choose “credit” at check out.
  3. You can’t use your Benefits Card at an ATM machine or to get cash back when making a purchase at a store.
  4. If you are also buying non-eligible items, the terminal or clerk will ask you for another form of payment. Then just pay with another card, cash or check as you’d normally do.

Who accepts my Benefits Card?

Grocery stores, pharmacies and wholesale clubs with vision and pharmacy services accept the Benefit Card.

Most of these stores have elected to participate in the IRS Benefits Card program (for a nationwide listing, visit www.sig-is.org and click on IIAS Merchant List).

Hospitals, medical, dental and vision care providers

Most services provided in these locations are eligible IRS expenses; however some are not, such as cosmetic procedures. Unlike grocery or pharmacy stores, providers do not typically use bar codes, so their systems can’t tell which services are eligible.

When paying for your healthcare services, hand your Benefits Card to the front desk.The system will automatically approve services that match your copay from your benefit plan. You will not have to submit supporting documentation for these services.

If the provider’s charge is for something other than a copay, it’s just a three-step process:

  1. Wait until you get a bill that shows your insurance carrier has processed payment. Once you’ve received that bill, use your Benefits Card to pay it, just like you would use a credit card.
  2. Once the provider has processed your Benefits Card payment, you’ll get a letter from us asking for supporting documentation.
  3. Send the letter back to us with a copy of your provider's bill or your insurance company’s Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to ensure your provider is paid from your benefit account.

Lost or stolen card?

If you lose your card, or your card has been stolen, notify BenefitHelp Solutions immediately at 888-398-8057. If a fraudulent purchase is made against your spending account, a claim must be made with Visa. Visa will credit your Benefits Card after they have completed their investigation process.

Customer Service

If you have additional questions about your Benefits Card, contact us. We’re happy to help.

FAQ

Still didn’t find what you’re looking for? See what other members are asking about below.

Using the benefits card does not eliminate the IRS requirement of submitting supporting documentation for FSA expenses. After using the card for a purchase, you may get a letter from us requesting more information.

Supporting documentation will need to include the name of the provider, date of service, type of service performed and amount of the service. For example: an itemized statement or receipt from your provider, or an Explanation of Benefits from your insurance company for healthcare expenses. The receipt that you signed for the purchase, balance forward statements or balance due statements are not acceptable forms of documentation: This information usually does not list the type of service performed or the name of the product.

If you do not submit your documentation to us, we will send you a second request. After that, if you still do not send it in, you will receive a final notice. After that, your benefits card will be deactivated until we receive the requested documentation.

On March 27, 2020, the CARES Act, H.R. 748 was signed into law, which among other things, no longer requires over-the-counter (OTC) medicines or drugs to be prescribed by a physician in order to be eligible for reimbursement under a health FSA as of January 1, 2020. Prior to this change, Insulin was the only exception to an ACA provision which required such OTC medicines to be prescribed in order to be eligible.

Over-the-counter (OTC) items that are not drugs or medicine are still reimbursable under a health FSA without a physician’s prescription. Examples of OTC items reimbursable without a prescription include sunscreen, bandages, contact lens solution, menstrual products and reading glasses.

The benefits card should only be used to pay for services that happened in the current plan year.

For a full list, please visit our Member FAQ page.

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