Why do I need to submit documentation if my Debit Card was swiped at a medical care provider?

The only information we receive about the charge when you use your ProBenefits Debit Card is the information contained in the documentation request email – location, date and amount.

While the charges must be from a valid provider of medical services (the card cannot be used at other locations), many medical, dental and vision service providers can also provide ineligible services. For example, dentists can provide teeth whitening, doctors can provide cosmetic services, and optometrists can sell non-prescription sunglasses.

Even if charges are for eligible services, they may still not fulfill all the requirements for reimbursement by the flexible spending account. For example, many times the final billing for services provided by a hospital in December is not sent out until well into the next year. If you use your Debit Card to pay for these charges which have service dates in the prior plan year, it may be an ineligible expenditure if your election is depleted for the prior year, you did not have an election during the prior year, or it is after the deadline for filing claims on the prior year’s account.

This is why the IRS requires that we have documentation for each charge that does not exactly match the amount and location of your company’s insurance copays which we have on file, or was not at a retail merchant with an IIAS (Inventory Information Approval System, which allows only eligible items to be purchased) in place.

See this helpful flyer for tips on using your debit card.