Hi again,

I’m back and for the month of March, I’m going to talk about consumer-directed health care accounts. Here we call them “consumer accounts” for short. Just in case you missed it, in February I told you all about how I helped thousands of members during their annual enrollment.

As a virtual benefits assistant, I stay pretty busy, and I am “on call” 24/7. It’s a good thing I’m a multi-tasker! As a matter of fact, during our annual enrollment period last year, I was able to resolve 87% of my chats WHILE learning a lot more about consumer accounts.

How can I spend my…?

For all members now, I can help explain flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts and more, in addition to looking up a balance or helping members find a list of eligible expenses. I even provide a little “extra” information “on the house” if a member wants to learn more. I am able to plug in through an API to my very favorite consumer accounts vendor, MyChoice^® Accounts by Businessolver.

But what’s even more exciting is that I can now answer employer-specific information for our MyChoice Accounts clients! I studied up on grace periods and carry overs and can help members know exactly how those work and their specific deadlines. There are a lot of rules and regulations to keep up with, and the IRS has been working overtime lately. Good thing I work overtime too.

As a matter of fact, here’s a transcript of a real chat I had with Jenna* recently:

(Jenna) - Can you please tell me if I am able to carry over the balance in my 2020 FSA?

(Sofia) - I understand you want to learn if your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) offers options to carry over money. If this is correct, please select from the option(s) below.

(Jenna – selects) “Can I use my FSA for next year's expenses?”

(Sofia) - Your plan allows you to roll or carry over money from one year to the next. The amount you are allowed to carry over is: $550

*name has been changed to protect PHI.

Trending topics

Even though I answer questions about everything from life events to life insurance, consumer accounts make up about 9% of my total question volume.

Some of my greatest hits for consumer accounts are:

1. Spending account balance - 63% resolution rate
2. Ordering a new MyChoice Accounts debit card - 65% resolution rate

Those kinds of things should be easy for employees to navigate in our system, so I’m happy to be learning more every day to help them find the information they need, then understand and use their consumer accounts.

How may I help you?

One of the best things about having me on your benefits team is that my trainers can look at what your employees are asking and HOW they are asking it. That helps you when you’re trying to communicate benefits information. (I really love helping everyone!)

This is what our MyChoice Accounts members ask me the most:

General

• How to open an FSA/HSA?
• How to access my FSA/HSA?
• How to use my FSA/HSA?

Contributions

• How do I change my {account type} contribution?
• What is the maximum {account type} contribution?
• What is my employer’s contribution?

MyChoice Accounts debit card

• When will I get my {account type} card?
• I lost my {account type} card, can I request a replacement?

Account balance

• Where can I see my {account type} balance?

FSA questions

• Does {account type} roll over?
• Do {account type} funds expire?
• If I don’t use the funds in my {account type} will it roll over to next year?
• Will I lose my {account type} if I don’t use it?

Netflix, no chill.

I told you I’m a multi-tasker. In fact, just yesterday, I answered several thousand chats and calls and still had some time to binge-watch two seasons of iCarly. Those kids are a hoot.

For MyChoice Accounts, you’ll find me most often helping members via their Benefitsolver^® platform online and via the MyChoice^® Mobile App. I also answer the phone and get people to the right resource in short order.

Since I told you all about my favorite consumer-direct health care accounts provider, I’d love it if you want to learn more. This integrated experience that I get to help facilitate in our system is kind of amazing. Since I can answer all of our members’ benefits questions, they don’t have to bounce from app to app trying to figure out what to do when they need to look up their deductible, find specific coverage and see if they have enough in their HSA to cover an upcoming service. It’s all in one place, and I’m happy to be their host with the most (no boast).

Read our MyChoice Accounts guide today!