FSA Program Launching at DoD, Elsewhere

Effective September 1, employees of the Defense and Energy departments, NASA, National Security Agency, National Science Foundation, Office of Management and Budget and the Executive Office of the President who have signed up for the flexible spending account program will be able to begin participating, meaning that around half of the executive branch will have only a four-month plan year in this the initial year for executive branch FSAs. Although payroll deductions will not start until later in the month, participating employees will be able to submit for reimbursement eligible expenses incurred on September 1 or later. The program’s startup at those agencies comes two months later than the program began at most other agencies and only slightly more than two months before the November 10 beginning of the next open season, to choose FSA coverage for the calendar year 2004 plan year. The Veterans Administration and the Government Printing Office are the only significant-sized agencies that won’t begin offering FSAs until the 2004 plan year.