HRA : health reimbursement arrangement

If you don’t know already, HRA stands for health reimbursement arrangement. HRAs allow an employer to reimburse for medical expenses and/or insurance premiums on a tax-free basis. Under this arrangement, employees purchase their own health insurance on the open market and then submit claims to their employer to get reimbursed for the cost of their premium and if allowed, all qualified medical expenses. Let’s look more closely at the HRA and how it all works.

HRA: a crash course

An HRA is a tax-advantaged tool built on a series of regulations that helps to ensure it is being offered fairly and achieving its intended aim, which is to help employees pay for benefits tax-free.
An HRA works pretty much exactly how it sounds: the employer reimburses for premiums and medical expenses on a tax-free basis, and the employee chooses a plan that fits their needs. Employees are reimbursed when they submit a claim.
Here’s even more info about how HRAs work!

There are several HRAs available today, but there are two major types of HRAs that business owners should know about. They are

ICHRA (individual coverage HRA), a 401(K) style benefit solution with no company size limitations or reimbursement limits, and QSEHRA (qualified small employer HRA), which is designed for companies with less than 50 employees.
Here’s what you need to know about the HRA types.

Our small business tax strategy HRA guide can help direct you to the best one for your business.

HRA benefits

There are many benefits of a health reimbursement arrangement.

Funded entirely by Employer (no employee contributions)
Account owned by Employer- funds stay with employer if employee leaves company
Reimburses health insurance premiums and medical expenses
Money is reimbursed for expenses/premiums after they are incurred and receipts are provided
Employees must have health insurance (minimum essential coverage) to participate
Tax benefits: Tax free for both employee and employer

HRA: what it means for the employee

If you’re an employee and your boss is offering you an HRA, it means that they are going to reimburse you for health insurance costs and possibly medical expenses depending on the type of HRA they have chosen. This is great news because it means you can shop for the best plan that fits your needs (you know you want to keep your doctor in network!), and you submit receipts and get reimbursed. This is an alternative to a group plan and means personalized plan choice and portability for you.

Pro tip: Before you sign on the dotted line for a new health plan, make sure you study up on HRA compliant plans.

HRA: what it means for the employer

An HRA allows you to set aside a fixed amount of money each month that employees can use to purchase individual health insurance or use on medical expenses, tax-free. This means employers get to offer benefits in a tax-efficient manner without the hassle or headache of administering a traditional group plan and employees can choose the plan they want.

The mechanics of an HRA are pretty simple. You choose a monthly budget that works for you, your employee signs up for a health plan that works for them, then you outsource the rest to an HRA administrator (like Take Command!) so you don’t have to worry about things like compliance or forms during tax time.

HRA and Take Command- a perfect match

We believe that HRAs empower employees to be their own advocate when it comes to their healthcare spend. That’s an important piece of the puzzle as we try to fix the high costs of healthcare.

If you think an HRA might work for your business, don’t hesitate to reach out to our HRA experts. We are around to chat on our website and would be happy to help you.

Keely S.

A wife to one and mother to four, Keely does all of the things. She’s also dabbled in personal finance blogging and social media management, contributed to MetroFamily magazine, and is passionate about good food, treasure hunting and upcycling. With a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Oklahoma and a knack for a witty punchline, it’s no surprise that Keely’s social posts are as clever as they get. In her (very little) free time, you’ll find Keely with her nose in a book or trying out a local restaurant with her family.