Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

The University of Alaska offers Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HC FSA) and a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DC FSA). The HC FSA is for medical expenses while the DC FSA is for daycare expenses for dependent children under the age of 13. Both accounts set aside pre-tax dollars. Funds must be used in the fiscal year they are set aside in. 

Benefit-eligible Employees
Benefit-eligible employees who will be working a minimum of 20 hours per week. 


Temporary Employees / Sikuliaq Employees
Temporary employees are not eligible.


Dependents
Dependents are not eligible to enroll in their own FSAs. However, employees can use their FSA funds for tax-qualified dependents. Employees cannot use their FSA funds for non-tax-qualified dependents (i.e. FIPs). 


Contributing to a Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
If an employee is contributing to an HSA, they may not contribute to a HC FSA. They may contribute to a DC FSA.

New Benefit-eligible Employees 
Review the New Employee webpage for more information on enrolling in coverage. Employees have 30 days from their hire date to enroll in coverage otherwise employees will be defaulted into Basic medical, Basic dental, and vision for employee-only coverage. 

Reminder | The Default - No FSA
If no form is submitted, new employees will not have access to a health care FSA or dependent care FSA without a life event or enrolling during open enrollment for the next plan year.  UA will not default an employee into either of these accounts. 


Current Benefit-eligible Employees - Life Event
Please review the qualifying life events page to understand life events and their deadlines. Late forms will not be accepted.

ASIFlex
The university's FSAs are managed by ASIFlex. FSAs allow employees to:

  • Set aside a portion of their income pre-tax
  • Request tax-free withdrawals from their accounts to reimburse qualified expenses 

Online Portal
Visit ASIFlex's website to:

  • Access resources, videos, and useful links to IRS-related publications and account details
  • Understand qualified medical and/or dependent care expenses
  • Submit receipts for reimbursement against the account
  • Request a debit card (debit cards are not automatically generated and must be requested by the employee)

To learn all about FSAs, watch the ASIFlex background video and read the FSA Quick Guide.


TouchCare
When selecting your benefits and comparing plans, reach out to TouchCare to help determine which plan is best for you and your family. They can describe the differences between a health care and dependent care FSA and help you understand what is considered a qualifying expense. 

Medical Expenses
The HC FSA can be used for medical, dental, and vision out-of-pocket expenses.


Eligible Expenses Catalog 
Unsure where to begin? Review ASIFlex's eligible expenses catalog to see if the product or service qualifies for the HC FSA.

Immediate Availability of Funds
The HC FSA provides the full goal amount elected on the first day of eligibility in the plan.

This means if an employee elects a $1,000 HC FSA, the full $1,000 is available on the first day of eligibility - even if no employee contributions have been made. Funds will be collected via payroll deduction over the plan year to cover the $1,000 HC FSA. 

*Please note that the dependent care FSA does not work in this same way.

Immediate Availability of Funds
See "When are funds available?" above.


Tax-savings
HC FSA contributions are made with pre-tax dollars.

The maximum contribution for FY24 is $3,050.

Married spouses, dependent children
Tax-qualified dependents (married spouses, biological or legally adopted children).

FIPs and children of FIPs
Financially Interdependent Spouses (FIPs) and children of a FIP that have not legally been adopted by the employee. 

Request a Debit Card
Debit cards for the HC FSA are available upon request. To request a debit card, please review the ASIFlex Website.


Reimbursement Online
Debit cards are not required. Employees may reimburse themselves by logging into their ASIFlex account and submitting a claim for reimbursement directly. 

Use it or Lose it
Funds must be used in the plan year they are elected. There is no carry over, rollover, or refund of unused funds. 

Unused funds are forfeited at the end of the plan year (each June 30).


90-day Run Out
There is a 90 day run out period for remaining funds after the end of the plan year. FSA expenses must be submitted no later than September 30. Expenses submitted during this time must have been from services that occurred during the previous plan year (July 1 through June 30). 

Daycare Charges (children under 13)
DC FSAs are for daycare charges for tax-dependent children under the age of 13. 


Eligible Expenses Catalog 
Unsure where to begin? Review ASIFlex's eligible expenses catalog to see if the product or service qualifies for the DC FSA.

After Each Payroll Deduction
Funds are available as they are deposited via payroll deduction. 

This works differently than the HC FSA account. 

Tax-savings
This account provides tax savings allowing employees to contribute to the FSA with pre-tax dollars.

The maximum contribution for FY24 is $5,000.
 Dependent Children Under 13
Tax-qualified dependent children under the age of 13. 

FIP's Children 
DC FSAs cannot be used on FIP children that have not been legally adopted by the employee.  


Children Over 13
DC FSAs cannot be used on children over the age of 13.

Reimbursement Online
Employees may reimburse themselves by logging into their ASIFlex account and submitting a claim for reimbursement directly. 

Use it or Lose it
Funds must be used in the plan year they are elected. There is no carry over, rollover, or refund of unused funds. 

Unused funds are forfeited at the end of the plan year (each June 30).


90-day Run Out
There is a 90 day run out period for remaining funds after the end of the plan year. FSA expenses must be submitted no later than September 30. Expenses submitted during this time must have been from services that occurred during the previous plan year (July 1 through June 30). 

Chart of Pay Periods
Review the chart of pay periods to understand the deadlines and when coverage will end.


Unsure? Email ua-benefits@alaska.edu
To confirm when coverage begins or ends, please email ua-benefits@alaska.edu. 

New Employees - First Day Coverage
Coverage can begin on the first day of employment. To qualify for first-day coverage, a new employee must submit their form by 5:00pm on the Thursday prior to the end of their first pay period. 


Current Employee - Day of Life Event
Coverage can begin on the day of the life event. To qualify for day of event coverage, the form must be submitted on or before the day of the event. 


Other Coverage Begin Dates
If a form is submitted after the deadlines above, but within the 30 day requirement (60 for birth), coverage will begin on the day the form is submitted.

Plan Year End Dates
FSAs must be re-enrolled in each year. These coverage do not carry over between one plan year to the next. Coverage will automatically terminate on June 30 of the current plan year unless an Open Enrollment form is submitted requesting coverage for the next plan year. 


Separating from the University
Employees who are separating from the university can only use their FSA funds while they are an active employee. Funds cannot be used for services after the employee has separated.

When to expect the first deposit
Once enrolled in an HC FSA or DC FSA, employee information and biweekly payroll deductions will be sent to ASIFlex for processing. Since we pay 2 weeks in arrears, it is common to expect a small delay before ASIFlex receives an employee's first deposit. For example, if  the first contribution occurred during the pay period that includes September 13th, 2023, this would not be sent over to ASIFlex until after the pay period closes and the pay is processed by payroll on October 6, 2023. This means those funds will be made available to ASIFlex the week of October 9, 2023. 


Debit Card - HC FSA
Debit cards for the HC FSA are available upon request. To request a debit card, please review the ASIFlex Website.


When Funds are Available
The HC FSA funds are available in full on the first day of eligibility. This means if an employee requested $1,000 for the HC FSA, the account balance would have $1,000 immediately available - even if no employee contributions have been made yet.

The DC FSA is only available as deposits are made. This means if an employee request $1,000 for the DC FSA, employees will only have the funds that are deposited biweekly available.

Plan Rates
The biweekly rate for your HC or DCF FSA are based on your elected amount.


Arrears
As of July 1, 2023, all employees - regardless of contract length - will be on a 26 pay period (12 month) deduction schedule. This means that employees who work less than 26 pay periods in a fiscal year (9, 10, and 11-month employees) will accrue arrears for missed deductions for the time they are off-contract or otherwise experiencing leave without pay. Review the FAQ below to understand what arrears are and how they apply. If there are any questions, please email ua-benefits@alaska.edu. ​

HC FSA | 100% arrears
Arrears will be collected for the HC FSA at 100% of the current biweekly deduction. This means that if you are off-contract for a pay period, your next pay period on-contract will have the HC FSA deduction as well as a full HC FSA deduction to cover the missed pay periods. 

DC FSA | No arrears
No arrears will be collected for the DC FSA. This may mean you do not meet your calendar year goal. 

Arrears are missed deductions. 

For example: An employee who is off-contract and not receiving pay will not have deductions collected from their $0.00 paycheck. When an employee returns to work and begins receiving pay again, the deductions will restart and the arrears balance will begin to be repaid in the specific amounts listed in the "how are arrears repaid" drop down menu below. 

Arrears apply to any employee who has active deductions that require arrears and that employee experiences a pay period where they do not receive pay.


Employees who are off contract
Employees who are in an off contract status are not receiving pay. This will generate arrears for their missed deductions during the pay periods where an employee was off contract. When an employee returns back to an on contract status, they will begin paying for their deductions again, including any arrears that need to be paid off.

Leave without pay
Employees who experience leave without pay in excess of 10 days must reach out to ua-benefits@alaska.edu to discuss the potential for Family Medical Leave (FML), Short-term Disability (STD), and other benefits that might apply to a specific situation. Some cases - such as an approved Leave of Absence - will be a COBRA event. Specific situations can be reviewed with individual employees. 

  1. Premium health care
  2. Basic health care
  3. HDHP
  4. Premium dental
  5. Basic dental
  6. Vision
  7. Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HC FSA)
  8. Corestream Voluntary Benefits
  9. Supplemental life - employee
  10. Supplemental life - spouse
  11. Supplemental life - child
  12. Accidental Death & Dismemberment - employee
  13. Accidental Death & Dismemberment - family
  1. HSAs
  2. FSA dependent care accounts
  3. Pet insurance (Pet insurance payments are made directly with ASPCA and are not included in payroll deduction. Employees are responsible for these premiums.)

There are two repayment schedules for arrears: 100% and 40%.​

This repayment schedule is for:

  1. Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HC FSA)
  2. Corestream Voluntary Benefits

100% Schedule
Arrears will be paid biweekly when the employee returns to work at a rate of 100% of the current deduction(s) until the arrears balance is paid.

This means that the employee will pay 200% of the biweekly deduction until the arrears balance is paid off.


Example
An employee is currently contributing to a HC FSA at $100 per pay period.

This employee goes off contract for 4 pay periods. This means that the employee has missed $100 x 4 ($400) deductions for their HC FSA.

When the employee returns to work, the employee will pay $100 for their deduction and $100 toward the arrears balance ($200 deduction in total).

The arrears balance will be paid off in 4 pay periods. At that time, the deduction will return to $100 per pay period.

This repayment schedule is for:

  1. Premium health care
  2. Basic health care
  3. HDHP
  4. Premium dental
  5. Basic dental
  6. Vision
  7. Supplemental life - employee
  8. Supplemental life - spouse
  9. Supplemental life - child
  10. Accidental Death & Dismemberment - employee
  11. Accidental Death & Dismemberment - family

40% schedule
Arrears will be paid biweekly when the employee returns to work at a rate of 40% of the current deduction(s) until the arrears balance is paid.

This means that the employee will pay 140% of the biweekly deduction until the arrears balance is paid off.


Example
An employee is currently enrolled in premium medical, premium dental, and vision for employee, spouse, and 2 dependent children. The employees current biweekly deduction for these coverages is:

  • $361.47 Premium medical family
  • $25.94 Premium dental family
  • $1.90 Vision family
  • $389.31 total per pay period

This employee goes off contract for 4 pay periods. This means that the employee has missed $389.31 x 4 ($1,557.24) deductions for their coverages.

When the employee returns to work, the employee will pay $389.31 for their deductions and 40% of each of their deductions toward the arrears balance:

  • $144.59 Premium medical family
  • $10.38 Premium dental family
  • $.76 Vision family
  • $155.73 total arrears per pay period

This means the employee would pay:

  • $389.31 total per pay period for deductions
  • $155.73 total arrears per pay period
  • $545.04 total

The arrears balance will be paid off in 10 pay periods. At that time, the deduction will return to $389.31 per pay period.

Employees can view arrears balance at any time on UAOnline by clicking on "Employee Service" > "Benefits & Deductions" > "Arrears Balance."

 

UA has several resources available to employees who need assistance.  When in doubt, please email ua-benefits@alaska.edu and we will be sure to direct the questions appropriately. ​

UA Benefits Team | ua-benefits@alaska.edu or Meet with Us

  • Need help submitting a form or providing documentation for a dependent?
  • Want confirmation of coverage begin and end dates?
  • Want to set up a quick zoom for some basic questions? 

AsiFlex | 1-800-659-3035

  • Having issues logging into the AsiFlex portal?
  • Wanting to understand what is considered a qualified expense?

TouchCare

  • Need help determining what plan works best for you and your family? 
  • Need help finding a provider or doing price comparisons?
  • Received a bill that may be incorrect?