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Flexible Spending Accounts

Elections for 2024 must have been made in Workday by 5 p.m. November 17, 2023. Elections made for 2023 will not automatically continue in 2024. 

Learn about the benefits of enrolling in a flexible spending accountnew windownew window and mass commuter flexible spending accountsnew windownew window.  

Overview

  • The Health Care FSA allows you to use pre-tax dollars for eligible out-of-pocket health expenses.

  • You can learn more about the account and which expenses are covered through this brochure (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader.-Link opens in new window.) .

  • Even if you were enrolled in the FSA last year, you must re-enroll each year.

  • You can carry-over up to $640 from 2024 to 2025.

How this FSA works

  • Calculate how much you spend out-of-pocket for eligible health care for the year.  Voya has forms and a calculator that can help you assess your expenses.

  • Enroll in the plan through Workday.

  • After you decide how much to contribute, Montgomery College withdraws that amount from your paycheck.  Withdrawals are divided by the number pay periods and spread throughout the year.

  • You will receive a debit card that you can use for eligible expenses, or you can submit a Voya reimbursement request (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader.-Link opens in new window.) .  If you participated in the FSA last year, you will use the same debit card and will not be issued a new one.

Details

The maximum amount you can contribute in 2024 is $3,200.

You can enroll in the Health Care FSA even if you are not enrolled in a health insurance plan through the College.  However, if you are on the Cigna HSA health plan, you are not eligible for this FSA but can use the Limited Use Plan instead. 

Because your FSA funds are pre-tax, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires that the debit card be used only at the providers and retailers who provide health care services and products. Once you activate and sign your card, you can immediately use it for eligible health care expenses. If prompted to select debit or credit, always choose “credit”. There is no PIN assigned to the card. Be sure to pay for non-eligible items separately. Your card can be used at the following locations:

  • Medical providers, such as doctors’ offices or hospitals;

  • Dental providers, such as dentists or orthodontists;

  • Vision providers, such as optometrists or ophthalmologists;

  • Grocery stores, discount stores, and pharmacies that have an inventory information approval system (IIAS). An IIAS allows the retailer to validate the item being purchased as an eligible expense at the point-of-sale. You card will be charged only for the amount eligible under your plan.

SAVE ALL RECEIPTS

IRS rules say only eligible health-related expenses can be purchased with your card, so it is important to save all receipts and documentation. The FSA vendor will notify you if your card usage requires validation with a receipt.

Overview

The Dependent Care FSA allows you to use pre-tax dollars for eligible expense like day care and after-school child care.  In some cases, it can also be used for elder care.

You can learn more about which expense are covered on the FSA eligibility list (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader.-Link opens in new window.) provided by Voya, which manages the plan.

How this FSA works

  • Calculate how much you spend out-of-pocket for eligible child care for the year.  The Voya brochure (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader.-Link opens in new window.) has forms and a calculator that can help you assess your expenses

  • Enroll in the plan through Workday.

  • After you decide how much to contribute, Montgomery College withdraws that amount from your paycheck.  Withdrawals are divided by the number pay periods and spread throughout the year.

  • You will receive a debit card that you can use for eligible expenses, or you can submit a Voya reimbursement request (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader.-Link opens in new window.) .  If you participated in the FSA last year, you will use the same debit card and will not be issued a new one.

Details

The maximum amount you can contribute to the dependent account in 2024 is $5,000 (married filing jointly).

A limited use FSA for vision and dental expenses will be available to those participants in the CIGNA Choice Fund (HSA).

  • The limited use FSA offers the capability to maximize savings by allowing up to an additional $3,200 in pre-tax contributions.

The Transportation and Parking FSAs allow you to use pre-tax money to pay for the cost of commuting to work.  

Overview

Transportation FSA

Qualifying expenses include mass transit costs incurred for commuting to work, including rail, train, bus or ferry. Van pooling expenses may qualify provided the van is primarily used as a commuting vehicle and has seating capacity for at least six adults in addition to the driver.

You can contribute up to $315 to this account.

 
Parking FSA

Qualifying expenses include costs incurred for parking on or near the business premises of the employer or on or near a location from which the employee commutes to work by mass transit. You may not use this account for College parking.

You can contribute up to $315 to this account.

 
Details

You may enroll in the Transportation/Parking FSA by completing and submitting an enrollment form at least 15 days prior to the beginning of the month in which you intend to begin participation.

All transit reimbursements must be made by filing paper claims with receipts. Benefit Strategies, the company that manages the FSA, does not have an estimated time yet as to when the debit card will work at WMATA kiosks. We apologize for the inconvenience.