Regence Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
Flexible solutions put you in control
The Regence HRA is an innovative approach to employee health
care benefits. Used in conjunction with your Regence health plan, the
Regence HRA lets you create a plan that works for you, while employees
control how their health care dollars are spent. This flexibility offers a
smart and affordable way to maximize your benefit plan.
How does an HRA work?
Using the Regence HRA is easy. You and your employees follow these
simple steps:
- As the employer, you decide which out-of-pocket medical expenses
you'd like to cover for your employees. You can choose to reimburse
employees for their deductibles, copays, coinsurance, prescription
medications, dental or any other health-related expenses specified by the IRS. You won't actually
pay any expenses until the employee requests reimbursement.
- An employee can use the HRA debit card to pay for qualified health
care expenses; funds are then automatically taken out of the
HRA.
- An employee can also pay directly for qualified health care expenses
and submit a claim for reimbursement from the HRA; a check
for the claim amount will then be mailed to the employee. If you
prefer, you also have the option to choose automatic reimbursement
for employees.
- With every reimbursement, employees receive a statement updating
them on the remaining balance within their HRA. This helps
them plan for upcoming medical expenses and encourages them to
make the most cost-effective health care choices.
Cut costs, not benefits
Due to the rising cost of health care,
many companies have been
forced to reduce their coverage
and benefit plans. By using an
HRA program, you can save on
coverage while offering employees
quality health care, despite rising
coverage costs.
You contribute to your employees'
HRAs before taxes. That means
the fund is not considered part
of the employee's income and is
non-taxable. You fund 100% of the
contribution, while employees are
spared any additional tax burden.
The HRA account can also be set
up so that any money left over at
the end of the year will roll over to
the next. Employees can then save
up for future medical expenses.
Saving for a healthier future
The Regence HRA provides
you with a quality health care
product that will fit your employees'
needs without overlooking your
company costs. Using an HRA
will help employees embrace
wellness, monitor their health care
expenses and become smarter
health care consumers. It's healthy
employees, after all, who create
the healthiest companies.
HRAs are available to groups size of 51+. They can
be paired with Innova® or Engage®.
Talk to your Regence Sales
Executive about HRA packaging
and design recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
What expenses does an HRA cover?
The employer decides
what qualifies as an eligible
expense. Your HRA may include
reimbursement for deductibles,
copays, prescription medications,
dental services and other
health-related expenses.
Are there taxes on an
HRA account?
An HRA account is not
considered part of an employee's
earnings. The health care dollars
are provided tax-free.
Does an HRA cover health
care premiums?
Employee health care premiums come
out of pay before taxes. They
cannot also be submitted as an
HRA-covered expense.
What if funds remain at the
end of the plan year?
The employer decides how
the HRA will be set up. The
account can be structured to allow
the entire balance to roll over, carry
over a percentage of the balance,
or forfeit all unused funds.
What happens when an
employee is terminated?
Under some HRA plans,
employees may continue to use
their HRA for a period of time after
their position is terminated. In other
cases, the employer keeps any
remaining balance.
