Some employers offer Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Health Savings Accounts (HSA), or Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA) as part of their benefit package. Each one works a little differently, so it’s important to know which you have and how to use it for Alma sessions.
What Each Account Means
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
An FSA is an employer-sponsored account that lets you set aside pre-tax dollars from your paycheck to pay for health expenses. FSAs reset each year, and employers do not transfer funds from employer to employer or if you do not use the funds. To avoid losing your funds, use your balance before December 31st.
Health Savings Account (HSA)
An HSA is an employer sponsored account that lets you save pre-tax dollars for health expenses, but unlike an FSA, you own the account. Your HSA funds stay with you even if you change jobs or insurance plans, and they roll over from year to year.
Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
Your employer funds an HRA to reimburse you for qualified health costs. Some HRAs let unused funds roll over each year. However, because employers own and operate HRAs, you cannot take your HRA funds with you if you leave your current employer.
How to Pay for Alma Sessions
You can use your FSA, HSA, or HRA benefits in one of three ways:
- Pay Alma with your FSA, HSA, or HRA debit card
- Request for reimbursement from your FSA, HSA, or HRA plan after making payment.
- Let your health plan to coordinate in-network benefits internally
- Let your insurance company coordinate payment internally (if both your insurance and your FSA/HSA/HRA are managed by the same company)
| Note: If your plan issues physical checks, you can make payment to Alma with a credit or debit card and then request reimbursement from your FSA, HSA or HRA plan. See the section titled "Reimbursement" below for more details. |
Option 1: Pay with a Debit Card
You can enroll in Autopay using your FSA, HSA, or HRA debit card or enter the card number directly through the link in your Alma invoice email.
| Note: Alma cannot split payments between different cards or accounts. |
Option 2: Request Reimbursement
In most cases, Alma cannot bill FSAs, HSAs, or HRAs directly. Instead, you can pay for your sessions up front using a debit or credit card and then submit your email receipt to your plan for reimbursement.
If your plan requires additional information from Alma, click the Help button in the bottom-right corner of the Support Center to chat with us. For instructions on how to submit receipts to your plan, contact your plan administrator or your HR team.
Some plans require an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your primary insurance before they reimburse you. Your insurance will send EOBs directly to you once they process your claim for the session. It can take up to 45–60 days to arrive.
If your provider is new to Alma’s Insurance Program, see Alma’s Claims Processing to understand why the timeline for EOBs may be a bit longer. To find more information on the Alma claims process, see: In-network Clients: Understanding your insurance.
Option 3: Internal Coordination Among Benefits Within Your Health Plan
Alma may be able to work directly with your health plan to receive reimbursement for part or all of your payment responsibility. In this case, you do not need to submit any additional payment or documentation to receive your benefits.
This payment option is only available if your FSA, HSA, or HRA plan is managed by an insurance company that is:
- Partnered with Alma, and
-
Also overseeing your primary health plan
- E.g., if you have an HSA and a primary insurance policy both managed by United Healthcare. Alma can bill your insurance, and UHC can pay your session cost directly from your HSA.In this case, you won’t need to submit receipts or pay up front. Your insurance company will handle both claims and HSA payments internally.
Your health plan must partner with Alma AND an FSA, HSA, or HRA run by the same insurance company for you to not need to submit receipts or otherwise create your own request for reimbursement. If the insurance company does not process the FSA, HSA, or HRA payment, you will be invoiced for the remaining balance.
Timelines
- If your insurance company manages both your primary health plan and your FSA or HSA, the coordination may delay payment by up to 60 days while your insurance processes the claims.
- You can pay Alma directly first to avoid delays and then wait for reimbursement from your plan.
- Always discuss invoice timing with your provider, especially if you plan to wait for claim processing before paying Alma.