Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™
The CARES Act and HSAs, HRAs and FSAs, etc
[By Staff reporters]

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law March 27, 2020, contains important updates on the use of health savings accounts (HSAs), flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health reimbursement accounts (HRAs).

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So, we wanted to inform you of the below changes that expand qualified medical expenses and access to remote care:
• Telehealth services
• High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) with an HSA may provide pre-deductible coverage for telehealth and other remote care services. This provision will last until December 31, 2021 (plan year must begin prior to this date).
• Certain over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and medications as qualified medical expenses
• The CARES Act restores the ability to use HSAs, FSAs and HRAs to purchase certain OTC drugs and medications, like aspirin and other pain medications, allergy medication, etc., without a doctor’s prescription.
• For the first time, menstrual care products are considered qualified medical expenses for payment or reimbursement with an HSA, FSA or HRA.
• Both provisions for OTC and menstrual products apply to amounts paid or expenses incurred on or after January 1, 2020, and are ongoing without an expiration date.
Important note for FSAs and HRAs:
You can use your account funds to purchase these products starting today. However, be sure individual merchants, like pharmacies and convenience stores,  update their point of sale (POS) system to now recognize these products as qualified medical expenses for FSA and HRA.
Use your payment card as you normally would for these purchases, and if the sale will not process, you can pay out of pocket with the option to reimburse yourself with account funds. As a reminder, keep your itemized receipt or explanations of benefits, which are needed to verify each purchase so you can be reimbursed.
For HSAs, you may use your debit card as you normally would since no claim reimbursement process is required. Please retain copies of your receipts as needed for tax purposes.
Please visit the US Federal  website for the latest developments and regulation changes related to COVID-19 and your health account(s), such as the CARES Act.

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Assessment: Your thoughts are appreciated

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