Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
The University of Alaska allows eligible employees to enroll in a Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HC FSA) and/or 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 allow you to set aside pre-tax dollars and funds must be used in the fiscal year they are set aside in. Remember, you cannot have a HC FSA and a Health Savings Account (HSA) at the same time.
Review the information below to see if you are eligible to enroll in a plan. If you are eligible, proceed to the proper drop down in the "Enrollment / Make Changes" section to understand the deadlines.
Benefit-eligible employees who are enrolled in any of the three medical plans (Premium, Basic, HDHP) or enrolled in no plan (opting out). Review our medical webpage for more information on the medical plans. You cannot contribute to a health care FSA and a Health Savings Account (HSA) at the same time.
New Employees
New employees have required action items that are due within their first 30 days of
employment. Please review the New Benefits Eligible Employee webpage to be sure you understand what paperwork is required.
Benefit-eligible Sikuliaq employees are eligible to participate. Temporary employees are not eligible to participate in either the Health Care or Dependent Care FSAs.
Temporary Employees are not eligible to participate in either the Health Care or Dependent Care FSAs.
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).
Review the applicable section below to see how you can enroll or update your coverage.
New employees have 30 days to make an election. Follow the two steps below to get started.
- Attend a Benefits Overview. Register to attend by contacting your HR Coordinator.
- Due within 30 days - Submit your New Employee Health Care Form
- A form must be submitted within 30 days of hire, even if you are opting out.
- If no form is submitted during the first 30-days of employment, employees will be defaulted into the Basic Health Plan, Basic Dental Plan, and Vision Plan for employee-only coverage.
- If enrolling dependents, you must provide supporting documentation at the time of enrollment.
Coverage Begin Dates | First Day Coverage
Coverage for the FSA 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.
Review the chart of pay periods to see when your form must be submitted for first-day coverage.
Coverage Begin Dates | Other Coverage Begin Dates
If a form is not submitted by the deadline listed above, coverage will begin on the
first day of the pay period in which you submit your form.
Review the chart of pay periods to see when your coverage will begin based on what pay period you submit your form.
Reminder | The Default - No FSA
All new employees must submit a form for coverage - even if they are opting out -
within their first 30 days of employment or they will be defaulted into the Basic
Health Plan, Basic Dental Plan, and Vision Plan for employee-only coverage.
If no form is submitted, you will not have access to a health care FSA or dependent care FSA unless you experience a life event or enroll during open enrollment for the next plan year.
Review the information below to understand when and how you can update your coverage as a current employee.
Current employees can update their coverage in three ways:
1. During annual open enrollment (mid-April each year);
2. Within 30 days of a qualifying life event; or
3. Adding a newborn within 60 days of birth.
For options 2 and 3, please review the remaining drop down menus. For option 1 (open enrollment) be on the lookout for additional information each spring.
The most common qualifying life events include change in marital status, birth/adoption, or gain/loss of other coverage.
For more information about qualifying life events please visit the qualifying life events page.
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 life event but within the 30 or 60 day requirements,
coverage will begin on the day the form is submitted.
Chart of Pay Periods
Review the chart of pay periods to see when your form must be submitted for coverage to begin on the day of the event.
Due Dates
If you are welcoming a new family member and would like to enroll them in your coverage,
you must do so within 60 days of birth.
SSN and Birth Certificate
Do not wait for the social security number or official birth certificate before submitting
your form.
Submitting the Form
When completing the Life Event Changes Form submit
- the temporary birth certificate from the hospital, and
- use 0's for placeholders for the SSN.
Once you receive the SSN, please reach out to us at ua-benefits@alaska.edu for instructions on how to add the SSN. Do not send any SSNs through email.
ASIFlex
The university's FSAs are managed by ASIFlex. Health Care FSA and Dependent Care FSAs
allow you to:
- Set aside a portion of your income pre-tax
- Request tax-free withdrawals from your account to reimburse yourself when you experience a qualified expense
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 the FSAs with ASIFlex, watch this ASIFlex background video for all of the features, or read the Quick Guide for a more information on using your account.
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 walk you through
the differences between a health care and dependent care FSA, go through qualified
expenses, and help you understand who you can use the funds for.
Medical Expenses
You can use your health care FSA for your 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 you are needing qualifys for the HC FSA.
Immediate Availability of Funds
The medical care FSA provides the full goal amount you elect on your first day of
eligibility in this plan.
This means if you elect a $1,000 HC FSA, the full $1,000 is available on your first day of eligibility - even if you have not contributed the full $1,000 when you need to use the funds. 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
The medical care FSA provides the full goal amount you elect on your first day of
eligibility in this plan.
This means if you elect a $1,000 HC FSA, the full $1,000 is available on your first day of eligibility - even if you have not contributed the full $1,000 when you need to use the funds. Funds will be collected via payroll deduction over the plan year to cover the $1,000 HC FSA.
Tax-savings
You contribute to the FSA with pre-tax dollars.
Married spouses, dependent children
Tax-qualified dependents (married spouses, biological or legally adopted children).
Financially Interdependent Spouses (FIPs) and children of your FIP that you have not legally adopted.
Request a Debit Card
Debit cards for your health care FSA are available to request if you would like to
manage your funds through a debit card. These cards are not automatically generated
and must be requested. To request a debit card for your Health Care FSA, please review
the ASIFlex Website.
Reimbursement Online
Debit cards are not required. You may reimburse yourself by logging into your ASIFlex
account and submitting a claim for reimbursement directly.
Use it or Lose it
Funds must be used in the plan year you elect them. There is no carry over of unused
funds. There is no rollover of unused funds. Any funds not used by June 30 of the
plan year they are elected in cannot be accessed and will not be refunded.
Unused funds will not rollover to future years and will be forfeited at the end of the plan year (each June 30).
90-day Run Out
There is a 90 day run out period for your remaining funds after the end of the plan
year. You must submit your FSA expenses no later than September 30 for expenses incurred
during the previous plan year (July 1 through June 30).
Review the information below to understand the dependent care FSAs.
Daycare Charges (children under 13)
You can use your dependent care FSA 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 you are needing qualifys for the DC FSA.
After Each Payroll Deduction
Funds are available as they are deposited into your account 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.
Tax-qualified dependent children under the age of 13.
FIP's Children or Children Over 13
You cannot use your dependent care FSA on the children of your FIP that you have not
legally adopted, or any child you have over the age of 13.
Reimbursement Online
You may reimburse yourself by logging into your ASIFlex account and submitting a
claim for reimbursement directly.
Use it or Lose it
Funds must be used in the plan year you elect them. There is no carry over of unused
funds. There is no rollover of unused funds. Any funds not used by June 30 of the
plan year they are elected in cannot be accessed and will not be refunded.
Unused funds will not rollover to future years and will be forfeited at the end of the plan year (each June 30).
90-day Run Out
There is a 90 day run out period for your remaining funds after the end of the plan
year. You must submit your FSA expenses no later than September 30 for expenses incurred
during the previous plan year (July 1 through June 30).
When to expect your first deposit
Once you enroll in an HC FSA or DC FSA, your 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 your information and your first deposit.
For example, if your first contribution occured during the pay period that includes
September 13th, 2023, this would not be sent over to ASIFlex until after the pay period
closes and your 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
You can choose to set up a debit card for your HC FSA. These are not automatically
mailed but can be requested once you log into your ASIFlex account.
When Funds are Available
The HC FSA funds that are requested for the plan year are available in full on the
first day of eligibility. This means if you requested $1,000 for the HC FSA, you would
have $1,000 immediately available - even though you have not contributed the full
amount yet.
The DC FSA is only available as deposits are made. This means if you reques $1,000 for the DC FSA, you will only have the funds that are deposited biweekly available.
UA has several resources available to employees who need assistance. Review the options below to be sure you are directing your questions correctly. When in doubt, please email ua-benefits@alaska.edu and we will be sure to direct you.
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 your 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?