An HRA can be "linked" to a health plan. In a linked HRA, you have to participate in the linked health plan to be eligible for the HRA. (An "unlinked" HRA is not connected with an health insurance policy.) A linked HRA is typically designed to reimburse the employee for co-pays and deductibles.

Some employers offer employees the choice of several group health plans, with separate HRAs linked to each one. You would have the choice of selecting the group health plan which best meets your needs.

A young, single employee with excellent health, a married employee with children, and an employee with health problems does not have to participate in the same health plan. They have the option to choose the one that meets their needs, and at the end of the year, they can choose another plan if their situation changes.

How do I pay for the out-of-pocket expenses?

The expense must be incurred before you submit a claim to be reimbursed, but the expense does not have to be paid before reimbursement.

At the time the expense is incurred, you can pay for it out of your personal funds (check, cash, credit card) or, if your employer offers one, by a benefits card (such as DataPath's myResourceCard™). Then you would submit a claim for reimbursement.

If the provider allows you to do so, you may submit a claim for reimbursement and pay the provider after you receive the reimbursement.

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Will I have to change doctors?

The HRA itself does not limit your access to healthcare by restricting access to physicians or other healthcare providers.

However, if the HRA is designed to work with your health plan, you will need to use the physicians or networks required by the health plan or face additional charges.

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