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How you might be able to add or change your health benefits during this pandemic

Posted at 5:21 AM, Jul 21, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-21 08:36:33-04

MILWAUKEE — The IRS is giving you more wiggle room to change your healthcare enrollment mid-year.

Normally, you would be stuck with whatever you chose for the rest of the year. The new rule allows you to add, remove or drop your health benefits for the rest of the year. But there’s a catch: Your employer must be on board.

Assistant teacher Lois Hearn says she completely missed the enrollment window and then the pandemic hit. Thankfully her employer at Next Door offered her a second window period to enroll.

She was able to cover herself and two children, “I really need it because my son has underlying health issues so that was just a window of opportunity for me. He has asthma. I definitely went and got my checkup!”

Here’s your Rebound Rundown:

  • The IRS is allowing workers to add, drop or change your healthcare benefits mid-year.
  • It is up to your employer to allow these changes.
  • Reach out to your Human Resources.

There is also a change the IRS made for Flexible Spending accounts, better known as the “use it or lose it” spending account. Normally you’d have until March to spend your FSA from the previous year. The IRS is allowing 2019 FSA balances to be used through Dec. 31, 2020. But again, they are leaving it up to the employer to allow these changes.

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