The Coalition of County Unions and CAPE wants to inform you of the temporary relief spending account changes that have been approved by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. Effective immediately, L.A. County has incorporated the following changes into their Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) and Dependent Care Spending Account (DCSA) plans:
- Unlimited carryover of unsured funds: For members enrolled in the HCSA and/or DCSA, you can carry over all unused funds from Plan Years 2020 and 2021.
- Extending age limit for DCSA expense***: For members enrolled in the LA County DCSA as of January 31, 2020, you may be able to use their funds to pay for childcare for children up to age 14 (the standard age limit is 13)
- Special Enrollment Window: Effective immediate though August 30, 2021, members may enroll in, increase, decrease, or cancel their HCSA and/or DCSA contributions.
Additionally, effective January 1, 2020, members enrolled in the HCSA may use their funds or be retroactively reimbursed (if you were enrolled at the time of purchase) for certain forms of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). PPE eligible expenses include:
- CDC-approved masks
- Gaiter-style masks and masks with breathing valves or vents are not eligible.
- Hand sanitizer
- Hand sanitizing wipes
Please be advised that for the Special Enrollment Window, changes made by the last day of the month will take effect the first day of the following month. Example: If you make changes to your spending account on May 31, the changes go into effect June 1. If you miss this special enrollment window, your next opportunity to make changes will be the 2022 Annual Benefits Enrollment in October 2021 (unless you experience a qualified life event).
To learn more about how spending accounts work and to make changes to your elections per the Special Enrollment Window, please log on to www.mylacountybenefits.com.
***DCSA age limit extention is not guarenteed through 2022.
