Flexible Spending Accounts

Open Enrollment is November 1 through November 30!

Employees currently enrolled in any  Flexible Spending Account (FSA) must re-enroll annually through the website, www.philasdflexbenefits.com.  All initial username and password will be the default settings- see Ready to Enroll section for more details. If this is the first time enrolling in an FSA plan, you will receive an FSA debit card from the vendor.

Update November 9, 2023: The IRS has announced increases for the medical and commuter accounts. Please review the chart and contact Baker Tilly to if you have already made your elections, but want to increase to the new maximum. 

Ready to Enroll?

New hires have 30 days from date of hire to elect medical or dependent care account. These accounts will become effective after 90 days of employment.

Parking, commuter and bicycle accounts can be elected or changed at any time.

Existing employees can only elect a medical or dependent care account if they have experienced a qualifying life event. Life events are reported directly to the vendor at 1-800-307-0230.

Employees can enroll by logging  on to www.philasdflexbenefits.com to begin the enrollment process. Elections are annual for Health/Medical FSAs and monthly for Parking/Transit/Bicycle FSA.

Enter Your Initial Username:

First Initial + Last Name + Last six digits of your Social Security Number (Example: jdoe123456).  If you have a SPACE or PERIOD in your last name please include it in your LOGIN ID.

Enter Your Initial Password:

Your initial password is your date of birth in MMDDYY format.

Employees who receive paychecks 12 months a year will have FSA deductions for 25 pay periods beginning the January 19, 2024 pay.  Employees who receive paychecks for 10 months a year will have deductions for 19 pay periods beginning January 19, 2024 and will not have deductions for July and August. There will only be one pay period for January 2024.

Have questions about the tax advantaged benefits offered to you? Need help enrolling in these benefits? Contact the Employee Benefits Center at 1-800-307-0230 between 8:30AM – 5:30PM EST Monday through Friday.

Visit our Flexible Spending Enrollment Site

Flexible Spending Account (FSA) TypeIRS maximum for 2024
Healthcare$3,200.00 annually
Dependent Care $5,000 annually for single taxpayers and married couples filing jointly.
$2,500 annually for married couples filing separately.
Commuter$315 monthly
Parking$315 monthly
Bicycle $20 monthly. Cannot be enrolled in parking and/or Commuter program if electing the Bicycle benefit.

 

Enroll in Parking and Transit  or the Bicycle benefits anytime!

Sign in to the Online Benefits Center and click this Banner .

Contact the Employee Benefits Center at 1-800-307-0230 between 8:30AM – 5:30PM EST Monday through Friday for all questions.

Please note, if you are setting up your account through self-service through the Online Benefits Center,  under terms and conditions, even if the progress bar is not at 100%, any saved election is binding:

I acknowledge that ONLY THE ELECTIONS I HAVE MADE UP UNTIL THIS POINT WILL BE SAVED. If I fail to return and complete the enrollment process through the Online Benefits Center, all of the elections shown above will be binding for the duration of the plan year. I authorize my employer to reduce my salary to pay premiums for myself and/or my dependents (if applicable) for the coverages listed above. I understand that I may only change my coverage elections during the plan year if I experience a Qualifying Life Event (examples of which include marriage, birth/adoption of a child, divorce, termination of spouse’s employment, etc.), unless my employer makes changes to the plan offerings. I understand that I must report any Qualifying Life Event changes that may impact my insurance coverage to my employer or the Employee Benefits Center within 31 days of the event (60 days for CHIP/Medicaid eligibility or loss of eligibility). I also understand that my employee and employer contributions to Social Security will be somewhat reduced due to some of my pay deductions being taken on a pre-tax basis.

FSA Debit Card:

All FSA accounts- parking, transit, dependent care, and medical- are loaded on the same FSA debit card.

If you signed up for the first time for calendar year 2023, you should have received a FSA debit card mailed to your address of record with the District.  If you haven’t received your FSA debit card by late December, check your address on file with the District through the Employee Portal. Contact the Payroll Office if you require an address update.

If you enrolled in any FSA account previously, you will not receive a new FSA debit. For example, if you had a parking FSA for 2022 and add a dependent care account for 2023, it will all be on the same FSA debit card.

Contact the Employee Benefits Center at 1-800-307-0230 between 8:30AM – 5:30PM EST Monday through Friday to order a new FSA debit card or register a myFlexDollars  account. See below for more details on the claims website.

Claims Website:

Access claims information, account balances, and submit supporting claims documentation through the myFlexDollars website then get the myFlexDollars Mobile app for your iPhone or Android device from the Apple App Store or the Google Play store:

What’s New for 2024?

The IRS has not increased the annual maximum for the health FSA and Commuter and Parking FSA as November 1, 2023.  The SDP will increase the yearly maximums during the November Open Enrollment period if the IRS releases regulations by November 30.

All employees are required to reenroll every year into the Flexible Spending Program.

2024 deductions will begin on the second pay in January, January 19, 2024 through the end of December 2024.

What is an FSA?

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) allow you to set aside money on a pre-tax basis through payroll deductions to pay for eligible health care, dependent care, and / or commuter/parking expenses.  This provides a tax break to cover out-of-pocket health and dependent care expenses. When employees purchase benefits on a pre-tax basis, their compensation is reduced for purposes of calculating wages subject to federal and F.I.C.A. taxes and, in most states, state income tax.  For residents of Pennsylvania, state taxes are saved on Health Care FSA elections, but not Dependent Care FSA elections.

Want to learn more?

Visit the FSA FAQs page.

Want to cover out of pocket health care and dependent care costs with pretax dollars, click here

Learn about how you can set aside money in a dependent care

Want to save on commuter and parking expenses?  See how here!

The “Use It Or Lose It” Rule:

If you do not use all the money you have contributed to your health and or dependent care flexible spending account, you will lose any remaining balance in the account at the end of the eligible claims period. This rule exists under the IRS guidelines for tax-advantaged plans; it applies to the medical and dependent care FSA only.  The plan year runs from January 1 through December 31. You have a two and a half month grace period to use all deposited contributions. In summary, you have until March 15 to incur eligible expenses and March 31 to submit any claims from the prior year’s balance.

Parking and transit balances roll over. The IRS does not permit manual submission of transit claims.

If you resign, retire or separate from the District any time during the year, you have 90 days to submit any claims from the beginning of the plan year to your separation date. Below are the tax-advantaged FSA accounts we offer through Baker Tilly Vantagen, our third party administrator.

You may elect to enroll in the flexible spending programs (Parking, Transit, Dependent, and/or Medical).  You will be able to complete your enrollment beginning the second week of your employment by logging on to www.philasdflexbenefits.com to begin the enrollment process. Enrollment in Medical and Dependent Care must be completed within the first 90 days of employment or you will need to wait until the annual open enrollment in November.

Enrollment:

Enrollment is different for each program:

  • Employees can enroll for Medical and Dependent Care accounts during the annual Open Enrollment period in November for a January 1 effective date.
  • Employees may enroll for the Commuter Reimbursement Accounts at any time throughout the year. You do not need to re-enroll in November, your enrollment continues at you elected level.
  • Newly hired employees become eligible for Dependent Care and Medical Flexible Spending Accounts after 90 days of service.  You must complete your enrollment at http://www.philasdflexbenefits.com within 90 days of date of hire.

Elections for Medical and Dependent Care are made based on the calendar year (January through December) and are deducted from all paychecks during the year, with the exception that parking and transit are not taken in the last pay of three pay months, Medical and Dependent Care elections cannot be changed throughout the year.

Medical Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Also known as Health FSA, you can use your pre-tax contributions to pay for eligible health care costs such as:

●      Medical and dental out-of-pocket expenses and co-pays
●      Eye exams, contact lenses/solutions and glasses
●      Prescription drugs
●      Orthodontia and dental care
●      Medical devices such as hearing aids and diabetic testing supplies

Please be aware that if you pay for a service in full and later receive a reimbursed from the insurer, only the out-of-pocket expense is eligible for the FSA reimbursement.  Example: You visit the dentist and pay for the full charge of $150. Your dental carrier then sends you a reimbursement check for $100. You may only claim the $50 of out of pocket expense.  Contact Employee Benefits Center at 1-800-307-0230 between 8:30AM – 5:30PM EST Monday through Friday if you need to make an adjustment.

Dependent Care Account (DCA)

A DCA allows you to get reimbursed for eligible childcare expenses that enable you and your spouse to be employed. Typical eligible expenses are:

  • Care for your child who is under age 13
    • Before and after school care
    • Babysitting and nanny expenses
    • Daycare, nursery school, and preschool
    • Summer day camp
  • Care for your spouse or a relative who is physically or mentally incapable of self-care and lives in your home
  • More examples are available at https://www.fsafeds.com/explore/dcfsa/expenses

 

Commuter and Parking Reimbursement Accounts (CRA)

A CRA allows you to use pre-tax contributions to pay for eligible mass transit, parking, and van-pooling expenses.

●      Transit Account – to be used for public transportation such as costs for SEPTA monthly passes, tokens, and regional rails. NOTE: the IRS does not permit manual claims for these benefits – you may only access this benefit by using your debit card.
●      Parking Account – to be used for parking costs at or near your work location, or the parking costs at a train station where you get transportation to work.
●      You have the ability to adjust future Transit or Parking contributions to avoid excess or shortage by processing an election change on the http://www.philasdflexbenefits.com site.
●      You have to pay out of pocket (post tax) for any amount over the IRS monthly limits.

 

Transit charges must be made through a site that accepts debit cards.  The IRS does not permit manual submission of transit claims.

Who’s eligible for this benefit?

All salaried employees are eligible to participate. Waiting period: For the Medical and Dependent care FSA, employees must complete 90 days of full-time service to be eligible to participate or during the open enrollment, period-whichever comes first. Employees may sign up for the commuter and parking benefit at any time, there is no waiting period and enrollment can be completed throughout the year.

When and how can I make changes or cancel participation?

Once your contributions start, IRS regulations do not allow you to terminate or change your election to the Medical and Dependent Care FSAs except under special circumstances with a qualifying event.

For Commuter and Parking accounts, you are allowed to elect, change, or stop contributions at any time by submitting the Change of Election for Commuter Reimbursement Accounts by logging into www.philasflexbenefits.com or contact the Employee Benefits Center at 1-800-307-0230 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

What does the deduction look like on my paycheck?

Below is a chart that displays the plan type and what the deduction looks like on your paycheck.

Plan Type Paycheck Code
Medical FSA “FSA MED”
Dependent Care Account “FSA DEPEND”
Parking Account “FSA PARKING”
Transit Account “FSA COMMUTE”

 

How do I use this benefit throughout the year?

New participants receive a debit card after enrolling. If you already have an active card, you will continue to use it. The card can be used for all accounts to pay for eligible out-of-pocket expenses. It’s used just like a bank debit card – you present it at the time of payment and the cost of the service is automatically deducted from your applicable account.

With the exception of Medical FSA, your card can only be used up to your available account balance, which varies by account. Debit charges that exceed this balance will be denied at the time of use. Your full annual election is available on your Medical FSA.

Transit charges must be made through a participating site that accepts debit cards.  The IRS does not permit manual submission of transit claims.