🧾 Spend smarter, lower your taxes, and maximize your everyday savings.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) give you a simple way to use pre-tax dollars for expenses you already plan to incur — whether that’s caring for your family or managing your personal healthcare needs. By contributing before taxes are taken out of your paycheck, you reduce your taxable income and increase your take-home value throughout the year.
FSAs are available only to employees enrolled in our Regence Platinum 250 or Platinum 1200 medical plans.
(If you’re enrolled in the HSA 1800 plan, you’ll use an HSA and/or Limited Purpose FSA instead — see the HSA section for details.)
At Tenpoint, we offer two types of FSAs to help you stay financially confident and prepared:
Dependent Care FSA (DCFSA)
Use pre-tax dollars for eligible childcare or adult dependent care expenses — helping you support your family while keeping more of what you earn.
Healthcare FSA (HFSA)
Set aside pre-tax dollars for out-of-pocket medical, dental, and vision expenses — making it easier to plan for both the expected and the unexpected.
Together or individually, these programs help you plan ahead, reduce your tax burden, and make everyday essentials more affordable.
👇 Explore each FSA option below for full details on eligibility, contribution limits, eligible expenses, and how to get the most out of your pre-tax savings.
Dependent Care FSA (DCFSA)
👨👩👧👦 Support your family, save on care, and balance work and home.
Childcare and dependent care can add up fast — but with Tenpoint’s Dependent Care FSA, you can use pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible expenses, lowering your taxable income and saving money each month.
Highlights
- Annual contribution limit (2026): Up to $7,500 per household (or $3,750 if married filing separately)
- Managed by: Rippling — elections, claims, and reimbursements are all handled in one place
- Eligibility: Available to employees who expect to incur dependent care expenses to enable them (and their spouse, if applicable) to work or look for work
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Eligible dependents:
- Children under age 13
- Dependents of any age who are physically or mentally incapable of self-care and live with you at least half the year
Eligible Expenses
- Daycare centers, nursery schools, and preschools (excluding kindergarten tuition)
- Before- and after-school programs
- Summer day camps (not overnight camps)
- Babysitters or nannies while you and your spouse are working
- Adult day care programs for disabled dependents
Why It Matters
Using pre-tax dollars for childcare or adult day care can save 20–35% or more on your eligible expenses, depending on your tax bracket.
💰 Example: If you contribute the full $7,500/year and your effective tax rate is 30%, you could save about $2,250 annually on taxes — just by paying for care through your DCFSA.
How It Works
- Enroll or adjust during Open Enrollment or after a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) in Rippling → My Benefits → Dependent Care FSA
- Choose your annual election amount (up to the IRS limit)
- Contributions are automatically deducted pre-tax from each paycheck and deposited into your account
- Submit claims in Rippling with proof of payment (receipts or provider invoices)
- Once approved, reimbursement is automatically sent to your linked bank account
Important
- You can only be reimbursed up to the amount that’s been deducted from your pay to date.
- Per IRS “use-it-or-lose-it” rules, any unused DCFSA funds at year-end are forfeited.
- Keep receipts and documentation for all expenses — the IRS may require verification.
💡 Pro Tips
- If you’re also contributing to a Healthcare FSA or HSA, remember — the DCFSA covers dependent care, not medical expenses. They’re two separate, tax-saving tools working together to support your family’s wellbeing.
- The same Rippling card can be used for your HSA, FSA, DCFSA, and Commuter Benefits accounts — making it easy to keep all your pre-tax savings in one place.
📝 Good to know: You can’t “double dip.” The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and the DCFSA can’t be used for the same expenses. However, depending on your income level, you may be able to use the tax credit for eligible expenses beyond your DCFSA contributions. Consult your tax advisor to determine what combination makes the most sense for you.
Healthcare FSA (HFSA)
💠 Spend wisely, save effortlessly, and take charge of your health.
A Healthcare FSA lets you set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible medical, dental, and vision expenses — reducing your taxable income and giving you more flexibility to plan for the year ahead.
Highlights
- Annual limit (2026): $3,400
- Managed by: Rippling
- Eligibility: Available if you’re enrolled in the Regence Platinum 1200 or 250 Preferred plan (you can’t have an HSA and FSA at the same time)
- Funds available upfront: The full annual election amount is available on Day 1 of the plan year
Eligible Expenses
You can use FSA funds for a wide range of health-related costs that aren’t fully covered by insurance:
- Deductibles, copays, and coinsurance
- Prescription medications and insulin
- Dental and vision care (including orthodontia, crowns, contacts, and LASIK)
- Certain over-the-counter items such as first-aid supplies, sunscreen, cold medicine, and menstrual care products
- Medical equipment, hearing aids, wheelchairs, and crutches
- Smoking cessation programs and prescriptions
- Fertility treatments, prenatal vitamins, and breast pumps
- Weight-loss programs, gym memberships, or nutritional counseling when prescribed by a doctor
- GLP-1 medications (such as Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro) when medically necessary
- Seeing-eye or service animals, including purchase, training, and veterinary care
- Home accessibility improvements (e.g., ramps, handrails) with documentation of medical need
💡 Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN): Some expenses — such as weight-loss programs, fitness memberships, GLP-1 prescriptions, or therapy animals — require an LMN from your healthcare provider to confirm the medical need. Keep this letter on file with your receipts for IRS substantiation.
Why It Matters
FSAs can save you hundreds of dollars each year by lowering your taxable income.
💰 Example: If you contribute and spend the full $3,400 on eligible expenses and your combined tax rate is 30%, you’ll save about $1020 in taxes for the year — that’s like getting nearly one month of groceries or utilities paid for, tax-free.
How It Works
- Elect your annual amount during Open Enrollment or after a Qualifying Life Event
- The full annual amount becomes available immediately
- Pay for eligible expenses using your Rippling benefits card or submit claims for reimbursement
- Reimbursements are deposited directly into your bank account
Important
- FSAs follow the “use-it-or-lose-it” rule — spend funds by March 15, 2027, or forfeit the remainder
- You can submit claims through April 30, 2027, for eligible expenses incurred before the grace-period deadline
💡 Pro tip: Your Rippling card works across your FSA, DCFSA, and Commuter Benefits accounts — no need for multiple cards.
📝 Good to know: FSAs can’t be used for insurance premiums or reimbursed expenses, and you can’t claim the same costs as both an FSA reimbursement and a tax deduction. Plan carefully to maximize your savings.
🔍 Learn More
Need help figuring out what qualifies? These tools make it easy to explore eligible expenses and stay compliant with IRS rules:
- 🧾 FSA Store Eligibility List — searchable by product and condition, updated regularly
- 💸 IRS Publication 502 — official IRS list of medical and dental expenses
- 🩺 Healthcare.gov: FSA Rules — overview of FSA basics and examples
- 🩵 Rippling Benefits Portal — view balance, upload receipts, and submit claims
- 🧠 USI Benefit Resource Center — call or email for help determining eligibility or LMN requirements
💡Flexible Spending Account (FSA): Should I Enroll?
For those enrolling in the Regence Platinum 1200 Preferred, consider putting the value of your deductible into your FSA since you’re likely to spend that amount before your plan begins paying.
You’re responsible for $1,200 for yourself (or $2,400 for family) out of pocket before your coverage kicks in. If you know this money will be spent, it makes sense to contribute that amount into your FSA to save taxes. (That said, if managing an FSA feels like more work than it’s worth — totally get skipping it.)
You can contribute up to $3,400 for 2026. If you defer more than your deductible, be sure you have other eligible expenses to use your full balance. Orthodontia, hearing aids, major dental work, and elective procedures are great examples of big-ticket items that help you fully use your funds.
For those enrolling in the Regence Platinum 250 Preferred, carefully estimate your annual medical expenses to avoid over-contributing.