Flexible Spending Accounts Can Make Comprehensive Eye Care Even More Affordable
Save up to 50% on Eye Care
Thousands of companies now offer their employees this versatile yet underutilized benefit, sometimes referred to as a flex plan or cafeteria plan. An FSA can save you hundreds of dollars on medical bills and can be used to pay for eye care and eye glasses. Depending on your tax bracket, using an FSA to pay for vision correction could save you up to 50 percent.
How it works
Money set aside in an FSA escapes both federal and state income tax and also Social Security tax. By law, the maximum amount you can contribute to an FSA is $5,000, but most companies limit contributions to $2,000 or $3,000.
FSAs are not just savings accounts. They save you money by decreasing the amount of taxes you pay. For instance, if you make $35,000 per year and pay 16% Federal Tax; 6% State Tax, and 7.65% FICA Tax, your total payroll taxes would be $10,377. However, if you contribute $3,000 to your FSA you would pay the same percent of taxes on only $32,000. This would give you net savings of approximately $900. The higher your tax bracket, the more you save.
How to enroll in an FSA
Check with your benefits manager at work to find out if FSAs are offered by your company. Employers open enrollment for FSAs only once a year. Some enroll in late fall and some in the spring. When your benefits manager sends out an enrollment form, fill it out immediately. Youll probably only have a week or two to sign up.
On the application, you'll need to decide how much of your salary you want deducted from each paycheck. This money will be deposited in your health care FSA. Most companies allow you to spend the money any time during the year, even when it has not fully accumulated in your account.
What to do now
If youre thinking of setting aside money in an FSA so that you can save up to 50 percent on eye care, schedule an appointment now. With FSAs and our affordable payment plans, eye care will never be more affordable!
|