Health Spending Accounts
Apex puts money toward your health care costs. Which account you get — and how much — depends on the medical plan you choose.
Start here: your medical plan decides your account
These accounts are not a separate choice you make. They follow your medical plan election, and that election generally cannot be reversed mid-year.
- PPO $4000 — Preferred Blue PPO $4000 Deductible II with HCCS
- HRA · $2,000 / $4,000
plus FSA and DCA if you elect them - HMO — HMO Blue New England $4000 with HCCS
- HRA · $2,000 / $4,000
plus FSA and DCA if you elect them - PPO Saver — Preferred Blue PPO Saver II $4000
- HSA · $800 / $1,600
plus LPFSA and DCA if you elect them
There is no HRA on the PPO Saver, and no HSA contribution on the PPO or HMO. The lower figure is for employee-only coverage; the higher applies to all other tiers.
On the PPO Saver you can elect a Limited Purpose FSA but not a general-purpose FSA — that restriction is what keeps your HSA eligibility intact.
Three accounts, three different jobs
They sound alike and behave very differently. The distinctions that usually matter most are who owns the money and what happens to it at year end.
| HRAHealth Reimbursement Arrangement | HSAHealth Savings Account | FSAFlexible Spending Account | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Available with | PPO $4000 and HMO $4000 | PPO Saver only | FSA on PPO $4000 and HMO $4000LPFSA on the PPO Saver. DCA on every plan |
| Apex contributes | $2,000 / $4,00050% of your deductible | $800 / $1,600$30.77 or $61.54 per paycheck | No employer contribution |
| Can you contribute your own money? | No | YesPre-tax, up to the annual IRS limit | YesPre-tax, up to the annual IRS limit |
| Who owns the account | Apex | You | Apex administers it |
| If you leave Apex | Funds stay behind | The money is yours to keep | Generally forfeited |
| At the end of the year | Per plan terms — see the HRA page | Rolls over in full, every year | Rollover includedUp to the annual IRS carryover limit |
| Can it be invested? | No | Yes, once you reach the threshold | No |
The short version
The HRA is Apex’s money helping with your deductible on the PPO or HMO. The HSA is your money, in your name, that you keep for life and can invest — and Apex adds to it on the PPO Saver. The FSA is your own pre-tax money set aside for the year, on any plan.
Your account pages
Health Reimbursement Arrangement
Funded by Apex at $2,000 for employee-only coverage and $4,000 for all other tiers. Available on the PPO and HMO plans.
Health Savings Account
Yours to keep and invest. Apex contributes $800 for employee-only coverage and $1,600 for all other tiers on the PPO Saver plan.
FSA, Dependent Care FSA, Limited Purpose FSA
Set aside your own pre-tax money. On the PPO $4000 and HMO you can elect a full Health FSA; on the PPO Saver you elect a Limited Purpose FSA for dental and vision. A Dependent Care FSA is available on every plan.
Estimate what to set aside
An FSA calculator helps you avoid over-committing money you would forfeit at year end.
Not sure which plan to pick?
The account is only one part of the decision. Compare the medical plans on cost, deductible timing and prescriptions first.