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CAREERS

Want to save on upcoming health and child care costs?

Directing your money into a Flexible Spending Account lowers your taxable income

If you know you’ll spend money on your health and care for your dependents, an FSA might help you save. You can sign up for or change an FSA each year during benefits open enrollment, or within 30 days of starting employment at UK.

How an FSA helps you save money

You receive your paycheck with income taxes taken out. A flexible spending account allows you to set aside a portion of your paycheck tax free in a dedicated account. 

For example, if you’re taxed at 30% and you choose to direct $1,000 from your paycheck into your FSA instead of your bank account, you’ll save $300 on taxes.

UK has new FSA vendor TASC as or July 1, 2024

TASC provides UK employees with FSA benefits including additional benefits such as MYCash funds. MyCash is an individual cash account that securely holds your reimbursement funds until you spend or move them. 

When you don’t use your TASC Card to pay for an eligible expense, you can submit a request on the app or online for reimbursement. 

You then choose how to spend your MyCash funds. You can spend them like cash wherever Mastercard is accepted.

Learn more about TASC

Learn more about MyCash

Contact TASC

As of July 1, 2024, TASC began managing our FSA benefit. They have details on contribution amounts and eligible purchases. You can also download the TASC mobile app to help you track and manage your benefits and access helpful tools.


Learn more about TASC

You’ll save only if you have known upcoming expenses considered FSA-eligible

As a first step, see if the types of purchases you plan to make are FSA-eligible. FSAs cover child care, elder care, health care services and items.

25%
Average tax savings on each dollar DEPOSITED
+5
More dependent care categories
80+
Health SERVICES AND items are eligible

The full list of eligible expenses is available from our FSA benefits manager, TASC, but these are examples of common eligible purchases.

The full list of eligible expenses is available from our FSA benefits manager, TASC and these are common eligible purchases.

Health care

  • Acupuncture
  • Birth control pills
  • Chiropractic care
  • Contact lenses and related materials
  • Crutches
  • Fertility treatment
  • Radon mitigation (with a letter of medical necessity and the appropriate diagnostic code)

 

  • Laser eye surgery
  • Over-the-counter (OTC) health items
  • Dental care including cleanings, fillings and crowns
  • Eyeglasses
  • Prescription sunglasses
  • Hearing aids

Child and dependent care

Three most common categories:

  1. Care for a child under age 13 at a daycare, camp, nursery school or a private sitter
  2. Elder care for an incapacitated adult who lives with you at least eight hours a day
  3. Expenses for pre-school and after-school child care (costs billed as tuition are not eligible)

Three types of FSAs and how they work

Choose one or more FSA based on what you’ll buy and your insurance

After you review the eligible expenses and estimate your savings, you’ll know whether an FSA makes sense for you in the year ahead. If you’re ready to start or continue an FSA, here’s an overview of the three account types you could select.

All three FSA options are managed by TASC and have a $250 minimum deposit, but each has different eligible expenses and deposit limits. You can participate in more than one if you’d like.

FSA for dependent care

Deposit up to $5,000 per household to spend on eligible child care and elder care expenses each year.

All eligible expenses

More important information

FSA for health care

Deposit up to $3,050 to spend on eligible medical expenses each year.

All eligible expenses

Limited health FSA with Saver health insurance

Because Saver insurance includes a health savings account (HSA), the optional health FSA is limited to eligible expenses in the dental and vision categories. Deposit up to $3,050.

Only dental and vision expenses on this list

All three FSAs run on our fiscal year July 1 - June 30

Your deposit goes on a debit card valid for the year

FSAs are designed for you to spend the funds you saved within the same fiscal year by June 30.

No funds will roll over for dependent care, but up to $610 will roll over for the health care and limited purpose FSAs.

Every year, it’s up to you to make a new deposit or not

You will not be automatically re-enrolled in your FSA each year. If you choose to continue, you’ll need to enroll during benefits open enrollment and select the exact amount you wish to deposit.

We’ll share updates about deposit limits every year during open enrollment.

Check enrollment in myUK

1. Go to myUK on the Employee Self Service tab

2. Click Benefits and payment option

3. Click Participation Overview to see all your current coverage and enrollments

My UK
Check your FSA balance

FSA plans managed by TASC are convenient using a Mastercard and a mobile app. Conveniently access and spend your reimbursement dollars on any purchase with MyCash. 

Visit TASC

News

April 16, 2024

Annual period for employees to convert temporary disability leave to vacation leave now available through April 30

The annual period for University of Kentucky employees to convert their temporary disability leave (TDL) to additional vacation leave (VL) is now available through April 30.   Employees may request conversion of TDL hours to additional vacation leave through Employee Self Service in myUK. Employees should log into myUK, access Employee Self Service and select Working Time and Leave Requests.    

October 27, 2022

FSA debit cards now usable at all UK Retail Pharmacies

We have great news for employees with a health care flexible spending account or health savings account! You can now use the debit card that comes with your FSA or HSA at all UK Retail Pharmacies and UK Retail Pharmacy Mail Order. For quick reference, to request a prescription refill and for UKHC Pharmacy locations go to UK Retail Pharmacies. You can also reach any of the retail pharmacy locations by calling 833-333-UKRx (8579).

May 12, 2020

FSA grace period extended through 2020 plus more relief

Unused funds stay through year-end, next year's health care rollover amount increases, plus newly eligible expenses In an announcement from the IRS shared on May 12, 2020, the IRS Notice 2020-29 allowed employers to provide relief for employees with flexible spending accounts that experienced disruption due to COVID-19. For example, employees who set aside money in their FSA for a scheduled surgery could not spend it because “nonessential” medical services were postponed.

May 07, 2020

New limited purpose flexible spending account for Saver health insurance members

Starting July 1, 2020, you can have the HSA that comes with Saver insurance plus a limited-purpose health FSA. Because our Saver insurance plan comes with a health savings account (HSA), you cannot legally enroll in a regular health flexible spending account (FSA).During open enrollment this year, you have the option in myUK to add a limited-purpose health FSA if you're enrolling in Saver or if you're already on the Saver plan.

Financial well-being benefits

Flexible spending accounts are available to most regular (non-STEPS) employees. If your status is less than full time, review our eligibility details.

Contact our office

Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(859) 257-9519 option 3
benefits@uky.edu
204 Mandrell Hall