What is a limited purpose FSA?

Narrator:

Sometimes two is better than one. Two shoes. Two cars. Two viewpoints. How about two health care accounts? One to pay for qualified medical expenses, and one to pay for just dental and vision expenses. Expenses like lasik eye surgery, dental visits, and orthodontics! That’s the idea behind the Optum Financial limited purpose flexible spending account.

It’s offered through your employer during your open enrollment period. Check your benefit information to see if you’re eligible.

It’s a great companion to a health savings account, or HSA, which you may use to pay for unforeseen qualified medical expenses. The limited purpose FSA is just that – it has a limited purpose. It reimburses you for dental and vision expenses. You can easily pay for services at dental or vision clinics with your payment card.

With a limited purpose FSA, you decide how much you want to put into the account, and that lump sum is there the first day of the plan year. Plus, the money that goes in is deducted from your paycheck before taxes. Just make sure you use all the money in your limited purpose FSA.

It’s not like an HSA, where your funds roll over from year to year. Some plans may have a grace period or a carryover provision, but a limited purpose FSA is a “use it or lose it” account.

One important note: If you spend your limited purpose FSA dollars before the end of the plan year, and something else comes up like a root canal, additional dental or vision expenses could be paid from your HSA. Just make sure to check your plan details.

No matter what, we make it really easy to help you keep track of what you’ve spent and what you plan to spend, so you can plan efficiently and maximize your account.

Just go to optumfinancial.com or download our mobile app to check on your accounts, submit a claim and more. 

The Optum Financial limited purpose FSA. Combined with your HSA, it’s a case where two is better than one.