The purpose of the HRA is to help you pay less of your own money—saving you potentially hundreds of dollars—for health care. That’s why the Fund strongly encourages you to understand how the HRA works.
Scroll through the topics below to learn more. Also, check out your plan’s HRA program guide to see all of the details:
How Your HRA is Funded
Each year, you receive an automatic contribution to your HRA, and you can earn additional funds by completing Healthy Activities
- Each year, you receive an automatic contribution to your HRA. This is called the “Base HRA Contribution,” and it goes into your account on January 1.
- You also have the opportunity to earn additional HRA funds by completing Healthy Activities. Your plan’s HRA program guide explains the Healthy Activities you can choose from and the funding you receive once completed. You may choose from several Healthy Activities:
- Provide the Fund with up-to-date contact information for you and your primary doctor. Returning a Contact Info Form to the Fund Office is required to complete this activity.
- Complete a Health Risk Questionnaire (HRQ). Do your HRQ online: www.takeyourhrq.com or phone: 888-901-0477.
- View an online health benefits video. Access the video at https://scufcwfundslearning.com.
- Get an annual physical. This activity is automatically processed through the Fund’s claims system once completed.
- Get a health screening. There are two ways to complete this activity:
- You do your screening with your doctor and return this form to the Fund Office.
OR
-
- You do your screening through a participating in-store pharmacy. You’ll need to find a pharmacy and schedule your appointment (see your options below). Once complete, reporting to the Fund is automatic.
- To Find a participating Albertsons or Vons location, go to https://kordinator.net/wellconnected and select “UFCW Biometric Screening” from the pull-down menu. Follow the prompts to schedule the screening.
- Get certain preventive health care services, including a flu shot. In most cases, your service(s) are automatically processed through the Fund’s claims system. However, sometimes this form may be required.
- Do a healthy lifestyle activity, such as participating in a smoking cessation program or participating in a weight management program for three consecutive months. Use this form to report your lifestyle activities; additional documentation may be required as noted on the form.
- The Fund adds the HRA dollars that you have earned to your account during each year’s “funding period.” The HRA funding period runs from June 1 through May 31, on a rolling year basis. Funds become available depending on when you complete Healthy Activities.
- For Healthy Activities completed and processed between June 1 through December 31: The Fund adds the HRA dollars you earned for these activities to your account on the following January 1. For example, if you completed a Healthy Activity in July 2017, and another in November 2017, the applicable HRA dollars should be added to your account on January 1, 2018.
- For Healthy Activities completed and processed between January 1 through May 31: Your account is credited for these activities in the same year, as soon as they are processed by the Fund (usually within two weeks of reporting). For example, if you complete a Healthy Activity on April 1, 2017, your HRA dollars should be added to your account by April 19, 2017.
- You can keep track of your HRA balance through quarterly statements provided by the Fund. The statements show the Healthy Activities processed, the Fund’s contributions made to your HRA, and the amounts paid from your HRA for your eligible expenses.
- You are not allowed to contribute your own money to your HRA.
Using Your HRA Funds
The Fund uses your balance on hand to help pay for eligible health expenses; the greater your HRA balance, the less of your own money you pay for health care
- The Fund uses your available HRA balance first to help pay your share of eligible medical and prescription drug expenses.
- In order to use HRA dollars for prescription drug costs, you must “opt-in” for this benefit. You can do so at any time; just complete and return the Rx-HRA Option Form to the Fund Office. You can get a copy of the form here or request one from the Fund Office.
- When your HRA funding is used up, you are responsible for meeting any remaining deductible, paying your share of coinsurance, and paying prescription drug copays out of your own pocket.
- Your HRA can be used to pay many out-of-pocket medical expenses, but it cannot be used to pay:
- Employee, retiree, or COBRA premiums.
- Non-PPO provider charges that exceed the plan’s allowed amounts for services.
- Increased Deductibles for eligible individuals who do not actively participate in the Disease Management Program.
- Expenses that are excluded from the medical and prescription drug programs, such as the cost of over-the-counter drugs, dental care, orthodontic services, vision services, and eyeglasses or contacts.
- If you do not use all of your HRA funds in one year, the unused balance rolls over to the following year. This means you may use the funds for your future medical and prescription drug needs—as long as you remain enrolled in the Indemnity PPO Medical Plan.
- Your HRA doesn’t earn interest and cannot be cashed out.
- Once you retire, if you are eligible for retiree health benefits, and you enroll in the Indemnity PPO Medical Plan, your HRA account balance (if any) will continue to be used until it is gone.