Both spouses can have medical FSAs

Here’s the scenario: husband and wife work for different employers.  The wife and kids are covered under the wife’s health plan; husband covered at his company.  Can they both sign up for medical flexible spending accounts for $2,500 each?  Note: They are not going to double claim for expenses. husband to claim FSA  for only his medical expenses; wife to claim for her & kids’ expenses only.

Planner

Dear Planner,

What you are suggesting is perfectly fine.  As you say, you cannot submit the same bill to both accounts and get it reimbursed.  The FSA is not connected to the health insurance plan.  That is, either the husband’s or the wife’s account could pay for expenses for the children or even for each other.  The FSA expenses allow a person to get reimbursed for any of his/her dependents; there is no requirement that the dependent be covered by a health insurance plan.

This gives you a little more flexibility about whose expenses go to which account.

Good for you for planning ahead on this!

Linda Riddell

About Linda Riddell

A published author and health policy analyst with 25 years’ experience, Linda Riddell's goal is to alleviate the widespread ailment of not knowing what your health plan can do for you.