General Lab Information

Changes to Health Care and Dependent Day Care Flexible Spending Accounts Effective 4/15

The COVID-19 pandemic left many employees with 2020 health and/or dependent day care flexible spending account (FSA) balances they were unable to spend. Healthcare providers' offices were closed. Daycare centers were closed, and many employees did not use childcare providers as they were working remotely.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which was signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020, includes provisions in the following areas that Brookhaven is implementing to provide relief to employees:

  • Forfeiture of Year-end Balances
  • Change in FSA Plan Elections
  • Change in Maximum Dependent Age for Eligible Dependent Day Care FSA Expenses

We provide below a summary of the upcoming program changes and a series of questions and answers.

Forfeiture of Year-end Balances

Current Process

Under the Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC (BSA) Flexible Spending Accounts Plan, unused year-end health care and dependent day care balances are forfeited. This includes both health care and dependent day care FSA balances for which you did not incur eligible claims during 2020.

What's Changing?

For both the health care and dependent day care FSAs, participants will be able to carry over unused 2020 year-end balances for 12 months (through Dec. 31, 2021). Such carried over amounts can be used to pay for eligible expenses incurred in calendar years 2020 and 2021.

In addition, participants will be able to carry over unused 2021 year-end balances for 12 months (through Dec. 31, 2022). Such carried over amounts can be used to pay eligible expenses incurred in calendar years 2021 and 2022.

This gives participants the opportunity to use the money that was left in the health care and dependent day care FSAs that may otherwise have been forfeited.

Assistance

See the Questions and Answer page. If you have any additional questions or need assistance with these benefits changes, then contact the Benefits Office at Ext. 8877 or Ext. 5126.

There are no people to show.