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Setting Up A Flex Benefit Card Reimbursement Option: Where Do I Start? Implementing a Flex Benefits card program is an easy process. An EBS sales representative will guide you through every step to make sure that your company's individual needs are addressed. You will need to complete the following to start your program: Service Agreement: Talk to an EBS sales representative who will assist you in setting up your Flexible Benefits card program, including your scope of services, the time frame to implement, and the corresponding fees associated with the program. Once your program has been designed, you will be asked to sign a Service Agreement contract with EBS. Additionally you will sign and return to EBS:
Enrollment Data Collection And Preparation: Prepare an electronic file containing enrollment information in all required data fields (preferably in a format provided by EBS.) Consult with your EBS sales representative to determine the information to be included in your data file and which file formats are preferred. Once your data has been submitted, EBS will:
Deposit Funding: A deposit for the Flex Benefits card program will be required, funded in an amount equal to:
Allow 10 business days to allow deposit to be processed by Flex Benefits card vendor. Final Checklist Your EBS representative will work with you to complete the final implementation checklists that will provide us with the PBM information, core benefit outlines, carrier contacts and other information pertinent to set up the electronic substantiation for claim processing using the Flex Benefits card. Once these steps have all been completed, you will be ready to announce your new Flex Benefits card program to your employees and distribute cards. What Is The Financial Responsibility For This Program? The Flex Benefits card vendor requires that a deposit be made, as outlined above, prior to the implementation of the program. On-going contributions, for each active participant, must be funded each deduction period and sent to EBS for continuation of benefit disbursements throughout the plan year. The employer is responsible for the administrative costs for the plan as agreed in the service agreement with EBS. The employer is required to fund the entire amount required to pay the benefits under this program. EBS will not make benefit payments in advance of receiving adequate funding. Employee Card Use How quickly will employees get cards? Once all necessary enrollment information and deposit funding has been received, EBS normally requires approximately 20 business days to set up your account. The Flex Benefit card vendor can normally produce cards and distribute to employees within 1 week of EBS' upload of enrollment data to their systems. During certain times of the year, card distribution can take slightly longer. For example, there may be a delay at the beginning of a calendar year, due to high volume of new enrollments. This delay can be avoided by meeting specific deadline dates set by the card vendor to ensure January 1 delivery time frames. How do employees activate their cards? The first use activates the card. How involved does an employer need to be in card servicing? EBS handles all customer service issues (such as expense eligibility questions, card use questions, lost/stolen card questions, etc.) directly with participants. Any calls or inquiries an employer receives from an employee can be redirected to EBS Customer Support staff. It is the employer's responsibility to review card activity reports and make decisions based on that information. This may include any action the employer would want to take regarding an employee's decision not to respond to a substantiation request or a situation where an employee may have a negative balance. How does the card work? Once activated, the card is loaded with the amount an employee has elected to contribute to their benefit program (annually for FSA benefits and monthly for Transit.) As the employee uses their card to pay for items eligible for reimbursement, corresponding deductions will be made from the card balance. The employee must have sufficient funds available to cover the expense for which they are using the card. Employees are responsible for checking their account balance. An employee should select “credit” when asked “credit or Flex Benefit”. No PIN is required to use the card. Where can an employee use their card? The card can ONLY be used at eligible merchant/provider locations as defined by your program — it cannot be used at places like restaurants, gas stations, department stores, or ATMs. If an employee tries to use the card at locations not considered eligible, the card will be denied at that merchant location. Do employees need to activate their cards each year? Employees will receive a new card for each plan year enrolled. Can employees still submit paper claims for expenses where they didn’t use the card? Yes. An employee may submit claims for expenses they were not able to use the card for, including OTC items, with receipts attached. Submission requirements for paper claims have not changed, and should be followed per customary EBS policies. Where can an employee find their account balance when using a Flex Benefits card? Account balance information is available by accessing your account from the Account Login buttons throughout the site, from the Member Center and through IVR (800-EBS-FLEX). Both systems are updated each business day and reflect up-to-date information that includes all Flex Benefit card and paper claim activity. Note: FSA and Transit accounts are currently the two accounts offered with the Flex card program. EBS does not currently service dependent care accounts through the Flex card as a “bill from provider” on file with EBS actually provides a quicker turnaround. Additionally, many vendors do not accept a Visa® transaction, and prefer a cash or check payment. |
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