FAQs

You can quickly and easily access your account balance information through your Choice Strategies online account. For step-by-step instructions on viewing your current account balance, watch the following presentation:

You may also check your balance by contacting Member Services via our contact form, phone, email or live chat.

You can log in to your Choice Strategies account online through our website homepage, www.choice-strategies.com. Click the below presentation for step-by-step instructions for resetting your password:

 Please note: When resetting your password, you will need to have your security words and employee ID ready. The employee ID for most members is your full social security number. No dashes and no spaces.

When creating an online account or resetting your password with Choice Strategies, you will be asked to provide your Employee ID. Your Employee ID is most likely your full social security number, no dashes or spaces. If you have entered your full social secuity number in the Employee ID field and continue to experience problems resetting your password or creating an online account, please contact Member Services.

For a presentation on creating an online account, please click here. 

 

If you would like to view a PDF file that goes over this step by step process, please click here.

Pending : This means your charge is being held until we receive further information from you. To learn which type of documentation to submit for your charge, please view our step-by-step presentation:

Please click here to a view a PDF document on how to best address documentation requirements and what documentation may be necessary.

Ineligible : You may need to submit documentation. In certain instances, you may be required to submit payment for the charge.

New:  Refers to a recently charged card transaction waiting to be substantiated.

Approved:   Your provider has been paid and Choice Strategies was able to substantiate your charge.

Denied :Your card was not accepted and the provider was not paid. 

The IRS stipulates that the plan sponsor (employer) ensure that HRA, FSA, DCAP and Transit/Parking plans are properly substantiated. In other words, purchases made with the Choice Strategies Card must be proven to be eligible under the plan.

Choice Strategies substantiates debit card purchases via the following methods: 

• Co-Pay Matching

The Choice Strategies Card can be set to match the co-pay(s) of the underlying plan design. Receipt requests are not generated for transactions in which an exact co-pay amount has been matched because the expense has been deemed substantiated.

• Medical Claim Data Feeds

Choice Strategies has partnered with several health plans across the country and receives regularly scheduled data feeds of medical claim data for all of our members enrolled in those health plans. Essentially, the data feed provides Choice Strategies with all of the information found on our members’ Explanation of Benefits (EOB) Statements. More information about medical claim data feeds can be found under the Data-Feed FAQs.

• IIAS (Inventory Information Approval System)

Under IIAS, an inventory control system, merchants such as grocery stores, discount stores, pharmacies, department stores, etc. must be able to differentiate between eligible and ineligible items at the point of purchase. Simply put, the Choice Strategies Card only works for eligible prescriptions and over-the-counter purchases at participating retailers. Ineligible purchases will be denied at the cash register. This system eliminates much of the need to request receipts for pharmacy purchases. A list of all IIAS merchants can be found under the “Preferred Pharmacies” button on the “Members” page of our website, www.Choice-Strategies.com

 • Substantiation Service

Choice Strategies offers a voluntary substantiation service that helps limit the number of receipt requests sent to employees for medical transactions on their Choice Strategies Card. Through this voluntary service, employees grant Choice Strategies access to review their health insurance accounts online. Choice Strategies views the EOBs necessary to substantiate the medical services paid for with the card. A receipt request for these transactions is not generated if the information from the health plan matches the transaction and if the services are eligible under the plan.

• Receipt Notification Process

Transactions that cannot be substantiated by any of the above methods generate a receipt request which is sent to the employee. Employees are requested to provide the necessary documentation (generally EOBs or provider statements) for substantiation. Approximately two-thirds of all card transactions will generate a receipt request.

Your card may have been denied for one or more of the following reasons:  

1. Your card is temporarily inactive
2. Your pharmacy does not use IIAS (Inventory Information Approval System)
3. Your provider’s card-swiping technology may be coded in a way that does not recognize your Choice Strategies Card or account. (For example, you may be trying to pay a dental provider, but dental may not be part of your plan and is therefore ineligible.   
4. Your card may have been reported lost or stolen,
5. Your card may have expired.
6. You do not have enough of an available balance.

If you still have questions, please contact our Member Service Department for details through our convenient contact form.   

No.  Choice Strategies cannot view your insurance information unless you have authorized us via a HIPAA Release Form and signed up for our substantiation service. To learn about substantiation and sign up for the service, please watch this brief step-by-step presentation:

Members are encouraged to refer to their employee handout to determine the correct ways to use their Choice Strategies Card.

Your Choice Strategies’ plan is designed to help pay for specific types of expenses as outlined on your funding sheet (a benefit summary).  To view your funding sheet, the primary card holder will need to create an account online, through which you can: 

• View your Funding Sheet (benefit summary)
• Update your demographic information
• Check your available balance
• Manage your claims
• Access forms that will assist you in the management of your plan
• Update direct-deposit information

Creating an online account begins on the Member section of our website, at www.choice-strategies.com.  The primary card holder will need: 

• The name of the primary account holder as it appears on the card(case sensitive):
• The employee ID – the social security number of the primary employee (do not enter dashes).

Claims can be submitted through your Choice Strategies online account. Submitting claims online ensures faster reimbursement and enables members to track the status of their claims. For instructions on submitting claims online, watch our step-by-step presentation:

 

For a more rapid response, Choice Strategies recommends that members submit claims through their online accounts.  Members may also submit manually using a  Claim Form via mail, fax or email. Be sure to include the appropriate documentation to support your claim.

For faster reimbursement, submit your claim online by logging on or creating an account at www.choice-strategies.com.  Please view the below step-by-step presentation for more information on online claim submission:

 

One other thing that allows you to recieve faster reimbursment is signing up for Direct Deposit. Signing up for direct deposit is easy. Simply log on to your Choice Strategies online account and click "Direct Deposit Info" on the left hand side of the screen. Here you will be able to input your banking information and change it at any time.

When a claim is processed against your Choice Strategies account, Choice will issue the reimbursement via Direct Deposit if we have the information on file. The deposit is sent to the bank the day after processing and the bank can sometimes hold this deposit for 24-48 hours. In all, the money may take 2-3 business days to reflect in your banking account once your claim has been processed by Choice Strategies.

 

You will be asked to provide statements for services paid for with the Choice Strategies Card. IRS guidelines require that transactions be verified for coverage under the plan. Please keep all receipts, statements, and Explanation of Benefits (EOBs). For additional information about the types of documentation required, please view the following brief presentation:

Please click here to a view a PDF document on how to best address documentation requirements and what documentation may be necessary.

You may be asked to refund your account if:

1. Something was charged outside of your plan-year

 

If the card is charged with something that occured outside of the current plan year, it will need to be refunded. Pre-tax accounts are designed to pay for current plan year expenses and should not be used for pre payments or anything that happened in previous years.

Charging your card outside for expenses outside your current plan year can cause problems for your current year funds and may result in you not being able to pay for an expense.  

2.You have charged something not eligible under your plan

 

Your plan has very specific guidlines and allowed expenses. Please refer to your funding sheet (A summary of benefits) which is located on your online account.

An overpayment is a charge made on your card where documentation indicates that you have paid your provider more than the required amount, which is ineligible under your plan. In this event, please submit documentation to verify the complete amount (i.e., the charge was more than one date of service and we are missing other dates) or your provider will be required to reimburse your Choice Strategies account for the amount you overpaid.

After you receive a service from your provider, that expense is first processed through your health insurance carrier. Then you will receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) by mail. EOBs detail the amount paid by the insurance carrier, the amount owed by the patient, and the dates of service. EOBs should be provided as documentation to support medical claims and card charges.

An authorization will occur when you use your card to ensure that you have adequate funds within your account to cover the cost of the charge(s). If authorized, the available balance on your card will be reduced by the authorized amount.

The IRS recently announced an increase to the mileage rate for the use of an automobile to obtain medical care. For dates of service July 1st, 2011 or after, mileage can be reimbursed at $0.235/mile. For dates of service prior to July 1st, 2011, the mileage rate is $0.19/mile.

To be reimbursed for mileage, a member must be enrolled in a plan that allows all IRS eligible expenses. Allowed expenses can be found by checking your "Funding Sheet" on the forms section of your online account.

Eligible members can submit a completed  Claim Form and include supporting documentation in the form of a MapQuest or Google map print out (or similar equivalent) that lists the miles and a statement or receipt that demonstrates the member had an appointment or picked up a prescription on that date.

Appeals can be filed on or before the 180th day after notice is recived that a claim has been wholly or partially denied. For a detailed document on how to submit an appeal please click here. To view a step by step presentation on the appeal process please click on the below image.

 

The IRS stipulates that the plan sponsor (employer) ensures that HRA, FSA, DCAP and Transit/Parking plans are properly substantiated. In other words, purchases made with the Choice Strategies Card must be proven to be eligible under the plan.

Choice Strategies substantiates debit card purchases via the following methods: 

• Co-Pay Matching

The Choice Strategies Card can be set to match the co-pay(s) of the underlying plan design. Receipt requests are not generated for transactions in which an exact co-pay amount has been matched as the expense has been deemed substantiated.

• Medical Claim Data-Feeds

Choice Strategies has partnered with several health plans across the country and receives regularly scheduled data-feeds of medical claim data for all of our members enrolled on those health plans. Essentially, the data-feed provides Choice Strategies with all of the information found on our members’ Explanation of Benefits (EOB) Statements. More information about medical claim data feeds can be found under the Data Feed FAQs.

• IIAS (Inventory Information Approval System)

Under this inventory control system, merchants such as grocery stores, discount stores, pharmacies, department stores, etc. must be able to differentiate between eligible and ineligible items at point of purchase. Simply put, The Choice Strategies Card works only for eligible prescriptions and over-the-counter purchases at participating retailers. Ineligible purchases are denied at the cash register. This system eliminates much of the need to request receipts for pharmacy purchases. A list of all IIAS merchants can be found under the “Preferred Pharmacies” button on the “Members” page of our website, www.choiceStrategiescard.com

• Substantiation Service

Choice Strategies offers a voluntary substantiation service that helps limit the number of receipt requests sent to employees for medical transactions on their Choice Strategies Card. Through this voluntary service, employees grant Choice Strategies access to review their health insurance accounts online. Choice Strategies views the EOBs necessary to substantiate the medical services paid for with the card. A receipt request for these transactions is not generated if the information from the health plan matches the transaction and if the services are eligible under the plan.

• Receipt Notification Process

Transactions that cannot be substantiated by any of the above methods generate a receipt request which is sent to the employee. Employees are requested to provide the necessary documentation (generally EOBs or provider statements) for substantiation. Approximately two-thirds of all card transactions will generate a receipt request.

Watch a step by step presentation on the types of documentation we are requesting from you:

Please click here to a view a PDF document on how to best address documentation requirements and what documentation may be necessary.

For medical expenses if applicable under your plan*

Please send a copy of an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your health insurance company or a detailed statement from your provider that indicates the services received have been applied to insurance. All documents must show date of service, procedure performed, and proof the claim was processed by insurance.

For prescription expenses if applicable under your plan*

Please send a copy of the receipt of the prescription from the pharmacist. Typically, this receipt is stapled to the bag that contains your prescription. A print out from the pharmacist detailing prescription name, price, and date filled is also acceptable. If your prescription benefits are subject to a deductible, please send an EOB for the prescription.

For over-the-counter (OTC) items if applicable under your plan*

Please send the itemized register receipt from the store where the purchase was made. If the receipt abbreviates the items’ names, please write the name of the item on the receipt. Keep in mind that due to provisions of health reform, OTC medicine items require a prescription to be eligible for reimbursement.

For dental expenses if applicable under your plan*

Please send a copy of a statement showing the date of service and procedure performed. If you have dental insurance, we will need an EOB from your dental plan.

For vision expenses if applicable under your plan*

Please send a copy of a statement showing the date of service, procedure performed, and/or eyewear purchased. If you have vision insurance, we will need an EOB from your vision plan.

Where to send the documentation:

Send appropriate documentation through your online account. 

Fax: 802-244-2020
Email: accountservices@choice-strategies.com

 

As of 8/1/09 the IRS mandated that pharmacies install the IIAS (Inventory Information Approval System) to automatically verify the eligibility of charges made with HRA and FSA cards. This software system is installed by the pharmacy and routinely needs to be updated by the vendor. Additionally, The IRS decided that grocery and discount stores would not be allowed to accept FSA/HRA debit cards unless they installed an IIAS. It was decided that it would be too easy to misuse the cards if they could be used at grocers and discounters for anything they sold, even if the grocer or discounter also had a pharmacy.

However, the IRS does permit stand-alone chain or independent pharmacies (known as "true pharmacies") to accept the card without an IIAS. These pharmacies are also referred to as 90% pharmacies. 90% pharmacies will require documentation to be sent in to verify that the purchase made was for an eligible expense on the plan.

You can quickly and conveniently upload documentation through your Choice Strategies online account. To easily create your online account, please view our step-by-step presentation:

If you would like to view a PDF file that goes over this step by step process, please click here.

Choice Strategies offers a voluntary substantiation service that helps limit the number of receipt requests sent to employees for medical transactions on their Choice Strategies Card. Through this voluntary service, employees grant Choice Strategies access to review their health insurance account online. Choice Strategies views the EOBs necessary to substantiate the medical services paid for with the card. A receipt request for these transactions is not generated if the information from the health plan matches the transaction and if the services are eligible under the plan. For a presentation regarding the HIPAA Release Form required to sign up for our Substantiation Service, click below:

• Fewer receipt requests
• Less paperwork
• An easier Choice Strategies plan for members

If your health insurance carrier log-in information is ever changed, Choice Strategies needs to be notified to enable us to continue substantiating your charges. Should you not notify Choice Strategies, you will receive receipt notification letters requesting documentation until we receive your current log-in information.

If your dependents’ medical claim information is not viewable through your carrier online account, they will need to create their own online accounts through your carrier as well as sign and complete a HIPAA Release Form. Otherwise, Choice Strategies will not be able to access your dependent information nor substantiate their charges.

An HRA (also known as a “health reimbursement account” or “health reimbursement arrangement”) is a pre-tax account provided by your employer which can be used in conjunction with your primary health insurance plan. Specifically, an HRA can be used to help pay for specific out-of-pocket expenses as outlined in the funding card provided with your enrollment form. Due to its tax-free status, you may be required to provide paperwork that supports charges and claims made on your account as eligible.

Yes. HRAs are funded 100% by your employer and funds are provided on a tax-free basis.

Each employee is given a pre-determined amount of funding. Employees either use their Choice Strategies Cards to cover out-of-pocket healthcare-related expenses or submit their expenses manually. Employees use their HRA accounts to cover medical expenses, such as office visits and prescription co-pays.  Funds are provided to employees tax-free.

In addition to this coverage, employees are often covered through an employer-sponsored higher-deductible plan or a higher co-pay healthcare plan – plans much less expensive than common first-dollar coverage plans.

When you visit the doctor, present your healthcare plan ID card. If the plan has a co-pay, use your Choice Strategies Card to make the payment at the time of service or submit a manual claim for reimbursement through your online account.

If your plan subjects the office visits to a deductible, use your Choice Strategies Card to make your payment once the provider bills you.

Claims may also be submitted manually. If an eligible claim is submitted via your online account, mail or fax, Choice Strategies will mail you a check or direct-deposit the funds into your account – whichever is preferred.

Your annual election can be found on your funding sheet or by logging in to your Choice Strategies online account. View your balance summary through your online account by selecting the Funding Card in “Download Forms”.

All cards issued draw from one balance on your account, similar to a joint account.  Additionally, if you have more than one account type (e.g. a HRA and FSA), both accounts are provided on one card.

Your funding card should have been provided to you by your employer.  It details the items that are covered through your Choice Strategies HRA. You can also view your funding sheet at any time through Choice Strategies online account. Log on to your online account here.

Possibly. However, many plans do not cover these expenses. Please refer to your funding sheet for details on your plan. Your funding sheet can be viewed at any time through your Choice Strategies online account by logging in here .

Members are encouraged to refer to their employee handout to determine the correct way to use their Choice Strategies account.

Your Choice Strategies’ plan is designed to help pay for specific types of expenses as outlined on your funding sheet (a benefit summary).  To view your funding sheet, the primary account holder will need to create an account online, through which you can: 

• View your Funding Sheet (benefit summary)
• Update your demographic information
• Check your available balance
• Manage your claims
• Access forms that will assist you in the management of your plan
• Update direct deposit information

Creating an online account begins on the Member section of our website at www.choice-strategies.com.  The primary card holder will need:  

• The name of the primary account holder as it appears on the card (case sensitive):
• The employee id, which is the social security number of the primary employee (do not enter dashes).

Any remaining expenses that you may have incurred – once your HRA funding has been depleted – should be paid out-of-pocket or through your FSA if you have one. However, make sure to keep your Choice Strategies Card for the following year.  Your card does not expire and, as long as you continue on the plan, HRA funding will renew the following plan- year.

If a member goes to the doctor during the last month of the plan year, it is possible that they may not have receive a bill from their doctor in time for the plan year end. As a result, at the end of each plan year, there is sometimes a three-month window set aside which enables members to submit claims for these expenses. 

During the claim run-out, members can submit and be reimbursed for previous plan year expenses by submitting claims through their online account or by submitting a completed Claim Form.

Do I have a "Run Out"? 

Log on or create an online account with Choice Strategies to view your companies Funding Sheet. The Funding Sheet will detail any plan run out information as well as other important plan guidelines.

• Parking Account: Up to $240/month (As of 2012)
• Transit Account: Up to $125/month (As of 2012)

You are the only person covered. Parking and mass transit costs incurred by your spouse or other dependents are not reimbursable.

Eligible expenses include monthly or daily parking, metered parking or parking at a mass transit facility. Expenses NOT covered are parking for business meetings, parking reimbursed by the company and parking costs already deducted from your paycheck.

Eligible expenses include bus vouchers, pass and tokens, ferry passes, van-pooling and commuter rail. Expenses NOT covered are transit costs reimbursed by the company and those already deducted from your paycheck.

The transit account can be used for van/carpooling only if it is a van service. Vanpooling or carpooling with a co-worker is not an eligible expense.

Keep all receipts: Documentation must include a receipt or bill showing the date of transit or parking and the cost. For metered parking/tolls, create an itemized list showing the dates and the cost of parking. You must sign the receipt before submitting for processing.

Receipts for transit and parking can be submitted anytime. There is no deadline for submitting a claim. 

Parking and transit accounts are continuous accounts that can start or stop at the employee’s discretion.

Anytime you wish.

There are no year-end employee forfeitures and any remaining balances at the end of the plan year will be rolled into the next year.

Unclaimed or unused funds in these accounts will be forfeited according to federal law.

Yes, you will use the same card for each account. There are different codes which correspond to each account to track the remaining balances.

Log on to your online account at www.choice-strategies.com and click on Employee Account balances. Be sure to note that only the balance in your account is available for reimbursement.

Please click here for a 4 page PDF document detailing Transit and Parking accounts in more detail.

You can also contact Choice Strategies at memberservices@choice-strategies.com or 1-888-278-2555 x2 Mon - Thurs 8a.m. - 7p.m. and Fri 8a.m. - 5p.m.

Due to Healthcare Reform, as of January 1^st, 2011, OTC medications like Aspirin or cold medication are no longer eligible on an FSA. Over the Counter durable goods such as first-aid materials like Band-Aids and ACE bandages are still eligible.

Please click here for a list of FSA eligible items. Insurance premiums are not an eligible expense on an FSA.

You can check your balance by logging into your participant portal. Please click here to login.

An FSA is a prefunded account which means that the full annual election is available on the first day of your plan year. For example, if you have elected to contribute $1000 over the course of the year, and have only had one payroll deduction of $41.67, you have the entire $1000 election available for use, not just the $41.67 you have contributed so far.

The benefit received under your FSA is tax-free. In order to maintain the tax-free status, the IRS requires that the purchases made be substantiated. We request the documentation in order to comply with the IRS substantiation requirement thereby maintaining the tax-free status of the plan.

The card differentiates providers and expenses by using the Merchant Category Coding (MCC) system as well as the Inventory Information Approval System (IIAS).  

The MCC system works with the codes attached to each credit card machine. For example, a doctor’s office credit card machine would be coded as a doctor’s office, and a shoe store would be coded as retail store – shoes. The card is set up to accept only eligible health codes. If you have a medical HRA and an FSA, then the HRA will only be set up with medical codes such as doctor’s office, hospital, etc. The FSA would be set up with all of the HRA medical codes, as well as vision codes, dental codes, pharmacy codes, etc. When the card is swiped at a dentist office, the card would attempt to take funds from the HRA funds first, but if it is a medical HRA and does not allow dental expenses, then the dental code would deny on the HRA and draw funds from the FSA which has the dental codes open.

IIAS is a coding system that is governed by SIGIS, a government agency working in conjunction with the IRS. IIAS is a coding system that most pharmacies were required to implement back in August of 2009. This system labels items as Prescription (Rx), Health Eligible (OTC), and Non-Health Eligible. So, if you have a medical deductible HRA and a FSA on your Choice Strategies card, and you go to any major name pharmacy to pick up a prescription, Band-Aids, and gallon of milk, the card will automatically be able to recognize that it should pull the Rx from the HRA, the Band-Aids from the FSA, and to not pay for the gallon of milk. 

You can check what expenses pulled from which account by logging in to your participant portal.

How much you should elect for your FSA depends on your planned medical expenses for the plan year. Choice Strategies has an FSA Contribution worksheet to help you determine what your planned the appropriate annual election. While FSA’s are a great tool to save money by paying for health eligible products and services on a pre-tax basis, please keep in mind that it is a "Use it or Lose it" account and that any funds not used at the end of the year are forfeit.

No, the only way to change an FSA election is during the open enrollment period at the beginning of your next plan year, or if there is a qualifying event. A qualifying event can be marriage, birth or adoption of a child, divorce/separation, change in work hours, change in employment status of a spouse, death of a spouse/child, or if you are taking an unpaid leave of absence.

For medical expenses

• A copy of an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your health insurance company

       OR

• A detailed statement from your provider that indicates the services received have been applied to insurance.

Documentation must show date of service, procedure performed, and insurance adjustments (if applicable).

For Prescription

• A copy of the receipt of the prescription from the pharmacist. Typically, this receipt is stapled to the bag that contains your prescription.    

       OR                           

• A print-out from the pharmacist detailing prescription name, price, and date filled

For Over the Counter or OTC

• Itemized register receipt from the store where the purchase was made. If the receipt abbreviates the items’ names, please write the name of the item on the receipt.

For dental expenses

• A copy of a statement showing the date of service and procedure performed and dental insurance adjustments (if applicable)    

       OR                                                  

• If you have dental insurance, we prefer a copy of EOB from your dental plan

For vision expenses

• A copy of a statement showing the date of service and procedure performed and vision insurance adjustments (if applicable)     

       OR                                                  

• If you have vision insurance, we prefer a copy of EOB from your dental plan

The following is not considered sufficient documentation

• Credit card receipts
• Statements that list service as previous balance
• Documents that show no date of service

The IRS stipulates that an FSA is a “Use it or Lose it” account. FSA funds cannot roll over per IRS mandates. For more information on when you need to use your FSA money by, please log on to your online account and check your company funding sheet. You may log on to your online account by clicking here.

Medical Expenses:

Yes, although when submitting a claim, you must include the English translation for any foreign receipts. You must also convert the cost to a U.S. dollar amount. In order to determine the applicable U.S. dollar amount, you will need to use the currency exchange rate as of the date of the medical treatment.

Prescriptions:

Currently, it is illegal to purchase prescriptions from another country for use while in the US and is not a covered expense. However, if you have received medical treatment in another country and were prescribed medicine in relation to your treatment while in that country, these prescriptions are reimbursable through the FSA account.

You can receive reimbursement for mileage to and from medical appointments on your FSA. For dates of service July 1st, 2011-December 31st, 2011, mileage can be reimbursed at $0.235/mile. For dates of service January 1st, 2012 and after, mileage can be reimbursed at $0.23/mile. 

You can submit a completed Claim Form with an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) or doctor's statement that indicates the date of service. Documentation indicating the mileage to and from the appointment will also be needed. This documentation can be in the form of a MapQuest or Google map print out (or similar equivalent) that lists the miles to and from the location.

Funds become available in you DCA after each payroll deduction. A DCA account is different from an FSA in that an FSA is prefunded by your employer To verify your payroll deductions have hit your Choice Strategies Account, you can login and check your balance at any time in your participant portal. Please click here to login. Or if you are a new user, please click here to register.

You can check your balance by logging into your participant portal. Please click here to login. Or if you are a new user, please click here to register.

If you would like to view a PDF file that goes over the step by step process of online account creation, please click here.

No, IRS Guidelines do not allow prepayment of dependent care expenses.

Claims can be submitted online by logging in to your participant portal. Claims can also be submitted by email, mail, or fax by filling out a Dependent Care Claim form. Please remember to submit documentation with DCA claims. Sufficient documentation would be a DCA claim form with the provider’s signature and Social Security # or Tax ID #. Or you can submit a bill showing the dates of the dependent care service, child’s name and provider name.

A DCA is a pay as you go account, which means that funds become available as they are deducted from your payroll. As such, if you submit a claim for $200 but you have only contributed $150 from payroll, we can only reimburse $150 at the time the claim is submitted. However, rather than deny the extra $50 that is not currently available, we will set up the remaining $50 to pay out automatically upon the next payroll deposit. If you know the amount a provider will bill over the course of the year, you can submit a single claim for the full amount of that bill. This enables Choice Strategies to pay you automatically as we receive payroll deposits. Choice Strategies will send a check, unless you have provided your direct deposit information either online, or on the bottom of a claim form.

You may submit a Dependent Care Claim Form and request that Choice Strategies set up an automatic reimbursement based on when the money is deposited into the account and when the services are incurred.

In order for this automatic reimbursement to be set up successfully, you will need to complete the Dependent Care Claim Form section titled Dependent Care Automatic Payment Setup. By Completing this section of the form you are agreeing that you can only be reimbursed for services with funds that have been deposited into your Dependent Care Account for that plan year. You are also verifying that you understand that reimbursements will be sent to you via check or direct deposit, depending on what you have set your account up as. You also are agreeing that if any changes to this request happen, such as change of custodial care provider or a change in the DCA election, you will notify Choice Strategies.

Please note, this form will need to be filled out again for the proceeding plan years. The form is only good for the current plan year and does not carry over from year to year.

Sufficient documentation would be a DCA claim form with the provider’s signature and Social Security # or Tax ID #. Or you can submit a bill showing the provider’s name, dates of service, dependent’s name, and service rendered.

Yes, you can submit a claim at the end of the plan year for any expenses that were incurred during the plan year.

A child, that is under the age of 13 and a tax dependent of the employee or a spouse or tax dependent that is physically or mentally incapable of self-care.

The annual election is the amount that you have chosen to contribute over the course of the plan year. To check your annual election, please login to your participant portal and check your account balances.

The only way to change a DCA election is during the open enrollment period at the beginning of your next plan year, or if there is a qualifying event during the plan year. A qualifying event can be marriage, birth or adoption of a child, divorce/separation, change in work hours, change in employment status of a spouse, death of a spouse/child, or if you are taking an unpaid leave of absence.

Dependent care expenses must be for care while you are at work, and must be for custodial care only. Custodial care doesn’t include expenses for food, clothing, and education. However, if a daycare provides meals in addition to childcare and couldn’t be separated from the cost of care, it is considered an eligible expense. Tuition and classes, as well as babysitters during non-work hours are not eligible expenses.

Please click here for a table of potentially qualifying DCA Expenses.