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April 17, 2020

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IRS tax deadline delay and COVID‑19 relief law provide additional flexibility for members with spending accounts

We want to make you aware of important updates to spending accounts due to the recent IRS tax deadline extension and the COVID‑19 relief law:

  • The delay in the federal tax filing deadline also extends the deadline for contributions to a health savings account (HSA) for the 2019 tax year to July 15, 2020. This impacts the availability date of 5498‑SAs tax forms to HSA account holders.
  • The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act expands the number of eligible over‑the‑counter medications and health care products available for reimbursement from spending accounts.

HSA contribution deadline for 2019 tax year extended

The deadline to make HSA contributions has been extended from April 15, 2020 to July 15, 2020, which coincides with the deadline extension for filing federal income taxes. The extension gives account holders additional time to make contributions to an HSA for tax year 2019 to pay for qualified health care expenses.

Account holders typically receive Form 5498‑SA, which reports contributions to their HSA, in May each year. However, Form 5498‑SA will be now be available after July 15. This form is informational only; it is not required for filing taxes.

The 2019 Form 5498‑SA will be updated for any 2019 HSA contributions account holders make up to the new July 15 contribution and tax filing deadline. Account holders with no contributions for the calendar year will not receive a Form 5498‑SA.

Fee for delivery of paper tax form

As a reminder, unless account holders opt in to electronic delivery, they will receive a paper copy of Form 5498‑SA by U.S. mail and be charged a $1.50 fee. To eliminate the paper surcharge, they can log in at ibx.com to update their delivery preference to electronic only.

More OTC medications and health products eligible for reimbursement

Certain over‑the‑counter (OTC) medications and menstrual care products are now qualified for reimbursement from a flexible spending account (FSA), a health savings account (HSA), or a health reimbursement account (HRA).*

The updated list includes items that were removed from eligibility after the Affordable Care Act took effect or, in the case of menstrual care products, have never been eligible. These items do not require a doctor’s prescription.

When will a complete list of eligible OTC medications and products be available?

A complete list of eligible OTC medications and products is expected to be published during the week of April 15, after confirmation by the Special Interest Group for IIAS Standards (SIGIS) board. A complete list of eligible menstrual care products is expected to be published one month later, during the week of May 15.

When can account holders begin using spending account debit cards for these newly qualified purchases?

Account holders* won’t be able to make these purchases using their spending account debit card right away. Retailers are required to update their point‑of‑sale systems so purchases of eligible items can be auto‑substantiated via card swipe.

All SIGIS‑compliant retailers are required to update their systems monthly; however, there is no standard timeline for adoption. As each retailer adopts the updated standards, account holders will be able to purchase OTC items by swiping their spending account debit card at the point of sale.

Can account holders get reimbursed for qualified purchases paid for out of pocket?

If account holders attempt to purchase eligible items* with their spending account debit card before retailers have updated their systems, their transaction may be denied. In this case, they can pay out of pocket, and in the case of an FSA and HRA,* submit a claim with their receipt for reimbursement as applicable. HSA account holders do not need to provide receipts but should retain copies of receipts for their records.

Please note: The CARES Act allows reimbursement from spending accounts for any qualified purchases made on or after January 1, 2020. This means account holders can also submit claims with a receipt for reimbursement for any newly qualified purchases made out of pocket between January 1 and March 27, 2020.

Employer and member spending account resources

The IRS will post an updated version of IRS Publication 502 when it’s available. Members currently have access to a partial list of common qualified expenses (prior to the CARES Act) in the Resource Center when they log in at ibx.com.

Please refer to irs.gov/coronavirus for additional COVID‑19 employer tax and spending account resources.

*The expanded list of qualified items may not apply with an HRA. HRAs are often limited to specific expenses such as medical deductible.

 
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Independence Blue Cross offers products through its subsidiaries Independence Hospital Indemnity Plan, Keystone Health Plan East and QCC Insurance Company, and with Highmark Blue Shield — independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.