Health Care Reimbursement Account
How Can a Health Care Reimbursement Account Save Me Money?
Ask yourself the following questions when deciding about participating in the health
care reimbursement account.
- Do you have medical, dental, or vision expenses that are not covered by
your insurance plans, such as deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance, or amounts
in excess of usual, customary, and reasonable (UCR) limits?
- Do you have prescription drug expenses that are not covered by the health care
plan or dental plan, such as deductibles or co-pays?
- Do you take over-the-counter (OTC) medications such as pain relievers
(aspirin, Tylenol), cold/sinus medicines, antacids, allergy medicine, hemorrhoid
medicine, nicotine patches, athlete's foot medicine or sore muscle medicine
to treat a specific medical condition?
- Do you plan to buy new eyeglasses or contacts, or have your hearing tested, or
do you expect orthodontia expenses* that are not covered by the dental plan?
The maximum contribution you can make to your Health Care Reimbursement Account
is $4,000. Your contributions will be deducted pre-tax from your pay. However,
if you enroll in the Duke Basic health plan, the contribution made by Duke (and
designed to help you meet the cost sharing features of this plan), is not
included in this limit.
*If you have questions about reimbursement account orthodontia expense guidelines, please call WageWorks at 1-877-924-3967
for more information.
If your answer to any of these questions is "yes," then you should consider
participating in a Health Care Reimbursement Account. Please refer to the
Health
Care Reimbursement Account Worksheet to help you decide how much to
contribute. Check out the Take Home
Pay Calculator to see how
you can lower your taxes and increase your take home pay when you contribute to
the Health Care Reimbursement Account. You can also check
WageWorks' online tool to
help calculate how much your Health Care Reimbursement Account annual election
should be.
Eligible Expenses
In the box below are some examples of out-of-pocket
expenses eligible for reimbursement from the Health
Care Reimbursement Account. This is not a
complete list. If you want to check if an expense that
is not listed is eligible, contact WageWorks, the
company that manages Duke's reimbursement
accounts, at 1-877-924-3967, or refer to Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) Publication 502, available by
calling 1-800-TAX-FORM or by accessing the IRS
web site at www.irs.gov. Note: Only expenses
incurred during the plan year (Jan. - Dec. 2008)
will be eligible for reimbursement. You must be
participating in the plan when the expense is incurred.
| Health Care Reimbursement
Account |
| In general, expenses must be
medically necessary and prescribed by your physician. The following are examples
of eligible expenses: |
- Acupuncture
- Alcoholism treatment
- Ambulance fees
- Animal trained to aid deaf person
- Artificial limbs
- Braille books and magazines (cost difference of common product)
- Car controls for the disabled
- Certain over-the-counter medications (e.g. pain relievers, allergy
medications, etc.)
- Chiropractor fees
- Christian Science practitioner fees
- Contact lenses and cleaning solutions
- Co-pays, deductibles, and co-insurance not covered by insurance
- Dental fees
- Doctor fees
- Drug addiction treatment
- Eyeglasses (prescribed)
- Eye surgery (e.g., LASIK and radial keratotomy)
- Guide dogs
- Hearing aids / exams
- Hospital services
- Infertility treatments
- Lab fees
|
- Lamaze classes for expectant mothers
- Mileage (requires receipt from physician and distance traveled)
- Nursing services
- Optometrist fees
- Orthodontia expenses
- Oxygen
- Psychotherapy for approved medical care (by approved provider)
- Smoking cessation program fees and prescription drugs
- Surgery
- Telephone for the hearing impaired
- Therapy (medical)
- Transplants
- Tuition at special schools for the disabled (select circumstances only)
- Varicose vein treatment
- Vision exams
- Vitamins (prescribed)
- Weight-loss programs at physician's discretion to treat existing disease
- Wheelchairs
- X-rays
|
Please note: Insurance premiums are not eligible expenses under a reimbursement account plan.
Ineligible Expenses
In the box below are some examples of expenses that are not eligible for reimbursement under a Health Care
Reimbursement Account. If you want to check if an expense is eligible for reimbursement, contact WageWorks,
the company that manages Duke's reimbursement accounts, at 1-877-924-3967.
| Health Care Reimbursement
Account: Ineligible Expenses |
| Expenses to
promote general health are not reimbursable under the Health Care Reimbursement
Account. The following are examples of ineligible expenses: |
- Babysitting & child care
- Breast pumps*
- Calcium supplements
- Cancelled appointment fees
- COBRA premiums
- Contact lens insurance
- Cosmetic surgery/procedures
- Custom fitovers (clip ons)
- Dancing lessons*
- Diaper service
- Discounted fees/write-offs
- Electrolysis
- Exercise equipment*
- Eyeglass insurance
- Fitness programs
- Hair loss medication
- Hair transplant
- Health club dues
- Treatment program (at a health club)*
- Herbs & herbal medicines
- Illegal operation or treatment
|
- Insurance premium interest charge
- Insurance premiums
- Lamaze class***
- Marriage counseling
- Massage therapy**
- Maternity clothes
- Personal trainer
- Prescription drug discount program premiums
- Retin-A*
- Rogaine*
- Special foods* (cost difference of common product)
- Student health premiums
- Swimming lessons*
- Tattoo removal
- Teeth whitening/bleaching
- Toiletries, toothpaste, etc.
- Veneers*
- Vision discount program premiums
- Vitamins*
- Weight loss programs and/or drugs*
|
* Eligible only with doctor's certification identifying the medical condition and length of treatment program.
** Eligible only with doctor's certification identifying the physical nature of the medical condition and length of treatment program. Massage therapy for the sole purpose of tension/stress relief or depression (even with a doctor's statement) does not qualify as an eligible expense.
*** Eligible expenses are limited to the mother's instruction related to birth.
|
