Health Care Spending Account (HCSA)

University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ sign

What is a health spending account (HCSA)?

NOTE: This benefit is currently only available for Faculty Association of the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ (FAUW) members.

Your HCSA is an individual account with GreenShield, funded by the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, that you can use to obtain reimbursement for eligible expenses that are not covered by your extended health or dental benefits (or your provincial health plan).

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On April 15th,Ìýthe University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ’s Board of Governors approved the establishment of a new HCSA benefit for members of the Faculty Association of the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ (FAUW) effective May 1, 2025, in accordance with the May 1, 2024 FAUW arbitration award.Ìý

How to use your health care spending account

On May 1, your HCSA will have a deposit of $300—then you direct GreenShield to use the funds for whatever eligible expenses are important to you. In addition to your personal expenses, expenses of eligible dependents are eligible for reimbursement, and you take an active role in directing the use of funds appropriately. It’s all about individual choice— so you can enjoy all the flexibility and convenience your HCSA has to offer.

Assuming ongoing HCSA eligibility as a FAUW member, if you do not use your $300 HCSA balance for eligible expenses incurred between May 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026, it will roll over to the next year, and you will have $600 in your HCSA for eligible expenses incurred between May 1, 2026 and April 30, 2027. Any remaining HCSA balance from the May 1, 2025 allocation will be forfeited on May 1, 2027, and any remaining HCSA balance from the May 1, 2026 allocation will be forfeited on May 1, 2028, and so on. HCSA balances are forfeited if unused in a two-year period, so assuming an annual May 1 allocation of $300, the maximum fund in your account will not exceed $600.

â€Eligible HCSA Expenses

Eligible HCSA expenses include your and your eligible dependents’ expenses that qualify for medical expense tax credits under the .

How to submit an HCSA Claim

Balances are tracked by GreenShield and eligible claims are submitted directly to GreenShield for reimbursement (similar to extended health and dental coverage today).

HCSA claims can be submitted online directly to . It’s quick and easy. Or, if preferred, you can submit a paper claim by mail. Just follow these steps:

  • Obtain a pre-filled personalized claim form through the GreenShield+ portal or call GreenShield’s Customer Service Centre at 1.888.711.1119 to receive a claim form.
  • Check that you have also included original receipts, and remember to take a photocopy for your records.
  • Double-check that you have provided your full mailing address, your GreenShield ID number, and send the form to the GreenShield address on the form within twelve months from the date you received the service.

Please be mindful of GreenShield’s claims submission period – claims need to be submitted during the May to April Benefit Year in which they are incurred, plus the 60-day grace period. Or, if you are no longer participating in the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ’s benefits program, you need to submit any HCSA claims to GreenShield within 30 days from your last date of coverage. ÌýÌý