Originally Posted by
Flyinhigh
Tony; For once in your distinguished tenure on APC you are wrong. I have never had the $450 deducted from any paycheck (pre or post retirement and I have been retired for one year.) The HCSA is a managed fund ...
You are right, I was wrong, and far more than once.
The Pilot Benefit Book also discusses how the HCSA works when you terminate, retire, or are no longer eligible to participate in HCSA (pages O-19 thru O-20). Any eligible expenses incurred prior to the date you cease to be a pilot are eligible for reimbursement, and you have until May 31 of the following year to file your claims. FedEx doesn't take a hit for the pre-tax dollars that the pilot does not have withheld for the remainder of the year -- the fund administrator does.
Also, if you have unspent funds in the HCSA when you terminate, retire, etc., you may opt to continue participation under COBRA with post-tax contributions to the account. That gives you a second chance to use the funds if you decide to retire earlier than planned, or if you mis-estimated your eligible expenses.
Flyinhigh, I apologize for implying that you might be misinformed. Thanks for going easy on me, and, more importantly, thanks for the great retirement planning tip.
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