Autumn is when a plan year starts running short. If you set money aside in a flexible spending account this year, the balance you have not spent is working against a deadline. An eye exam, a new pair of glasses or a year of contact lenses is exactly the kind of care that money was meant to cover.
This planner does three things. It counts down to the end of the plan year using the date on your own device. It lays out how FSA and HSA rules differ in December. And it turns the numbers you type into a transparent estimate of what a vision expense could cost you out of pocket.
When you are ready to use your benefits, see the insurance plans we accept or request an appointment.
It cannot see your plan. It does not know your employer's grace period, carryover limit, eligible-expense list or tax situation, and it does not promise that anything is covered.
Many flexible spending accounts follow the calendar, so the money you set aside for this plan year is meant to be used by December 31. The countdown below reads the date on your device and updates every second, which means it stays correct through the next rollover instead of freezing on one year.
This plan year ends December 31.
Illustrative calendar plan. Your plan year, deadline, grace period and carryover rules may be different, and a plan year that ends on December 31 is common rather than universal. Check your plan documents or ask your benefits administrator before you rely on any date on this page.
These two accounts look similar on a benefits statement and behave very differently in December. One may have a deadline. The other does not.
Your plan documents are the authority here, not a general rule.
A year-end rush is a choice with an HSA, never a requirement.
Many plans treat routine vision care as an eligible expense, including eye exams, prescription glasses, contact lenses and prescribed lenses. Eligible-expense lists are set by your plan, so confirm the specific item before you buy it. This page describes common rules, not your plan's rules.
Type in the numbers from your own plan documents. Nothing is sent anywhere and nothing is saved on this page; the estimate updates as you change a number.
This is an estimate, not a price, a tax opinion or a guarantee of coverage. It does not predict what your insurance plan will pay: enter only a payment your insurer has confirmed. A dollar is counted once: that payment is subtracted first, then FSA and HSA balances apply to the remaining eligible expense. Account withdrawals are your own funds, not a discount. A general-purpose health FSA can affect HSA contribution eligibility; confirm that your account combination is permitted before relying on this estimate. Confirm balances, eligible expenses and deadlines with your plan administrator, and ask a tax professional about your own situation.
Here is one calm way to run the last quarter. It is a general example, not your plan's calendar, so shift the months to fit your own deadline.
Sign in to your benefits portal or call your administrator. Write down three things: what is left in the account, whether a grace period applies, and whether your plan allows a carryover. Confirm the deadline in writing.
Year-end schedules fill quickly, so book a comprehensive eye exam with time to spare. Ask for the visit to be billed to vision insurance first; your FSA or HSA can cover what insurance does not.
Bring your prescription and your balance to the optical. Lenses and frames can take time to order and fit, so leaving the choice to the last week of December adds pressure for no reason.
Order or fit anything that has to arrive before the deadline, and keep the itemized receipt. Many plans reimburse against a receipt rather than paying the provider directly.
Submit for reimbursement as soon as the purchase is complete. A claim submitted in January may still count toward the previous plan year, but that depends on your plan and the grace rules.
The countdown above is aimed at December 31. Treat it as an illustration and confirm the date that applies to you.
An FSA balance that was neither spent nor carried over may be forfeited, which is why October through December is the useful window. An HSA has no such deadline: the balance stays yours and rolls into next year.
Illustrative plan. Renewal dates, grace periods, carryover limits and eligible expenses are set by your employer and your plan administrator, and actual renewal may vary. Nothing here is a promotion, an offer or a promise of coverage.
Five questions answer almost everything about year-end benefits. Ask them before you spend, and keep the answers with your plan documents.
Your benefits administrator answers the first four. We are glad to help with the fifth by explaining what a visit or a pair of glasses involves, so you can plan the care rather than guess at it.
An eye exam is usually the first step. It produces the prescription your benefits are meant to cover, and it can catch a problem early.
It depends on your plan. Some plans allow a grace period, some allow a limited carryover into the next year, and some forfeit the balance. That is a plan rule rather than a store rule, so confirm it with your benefits administrator before December 31.
No. An HSA balance belongs to you and rolls over year after year, with no use-it-or-lose-it deadline. You can spend it now or save it for vision care later.
Often, yes, when they are prescribed and the expense appears on your plan's eligible list. Ask your administrator for that list, and keep the itemized receipt that a claim may require.
Sometimes. A limited-purpose FSA paired with an HSA is one arrangement, and the rules depend on your coverage. Your benefits administrator can confirm which accounts you hold.
No. The estimate uses only the numbers you type. It is not a price, it does not predict what insurance will pay, and it does not promise that a purchase will be reimbursed.
These interactive tools are educational demonstrations, not diagnoses, benefit guarantees or prescriptions. An exam and a conversation with the team help you choose care that fits.
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