- Human Resources
- Employee Benefits
- Flexible Spending Accounts
Tailor Your Benefits to Your Needs
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) save you pre-tax money on medical and child care expenses which is deducted from your paycheck on a fiscal plan-year basis. Please note: funds not spent during the eligible period are lost. Each participant is encouraged to carefully calculate the amount you elect to contribute each year. Explore additional information at Mass.Gov.
Healthcare Spending Account (HSA)
HCSA allows you to pay for $250 - $2,700 of annual eligible health care expenses on a pre-tax basis. Eligible expenses include most medical co-pays, eyeglasses and contact lenses not covered by your health or vision insurance, orthodontia and dental expenses not covered by your dental insurance and more.
As a participant in the HCSA you receive two debit cards, enabling you to pay eligible expenses directly rather than submitting a claim form. You must still retain receipts in case the TASC, the HCSA/DCAP plan administrator requires a copy of the receipt or in case of audit by the IRS.
Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCA)
DCAP allows you to pay for $1 - $5,000 of qualified dependent care expenses on a pre-tax basis. Eligible expenses may only be incurred for dependents under 13 years of age for care while you are working are and include day care day camp, after school programs, nursery school, and more.
Please note: you may either use the DCAP program or claim the child care tax credit when you file your taxes—not both. Additionally, if you have an older IRS dependent who lives with you at least 8 hours per day and requires someone to come into the house to assist with day-to-day living, you can claim these expenses through your DCAP.
How to Enroll
GIC-eligible employees may apply to participate in the HCSA and/or DCAP when completing initial hiring paperwork or during annual open enrollment any year for participation in the following plan year and are provided enrollment information at each of these times.
Current participants/New Participants must enroll or re‐enroll each year to continue participating. All HCSA and DCAP enrollments must be processed on‐line at Mass.gov.
Changing your Election Mid-Year
You may enroll or change your plan-year FSA election within 30 days of a qualifying event by completing and submitting a qualifying event change form.
Please note that the qualifying event must correspond with the change in election (i.e., marriage constitutes an increase in election; divorce constitutes a decrease in election) and supporting documentation must be provided at the time of enrollment or change of election.