Lifestyle Spending Accounts: Guide for Smart Financial Planning

Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) are emerging as a popular solution for employers searching for ways to help their employees pursue health and wellness. As an employer-driven benefit, LSAs provide funding for certain expenses not typically covered by traditional insurance plans. By offering this type of account, companies can demonstrate their investment in employee well-being, ultimately attracting and retaining top talent.

LSA insurance combines aspects of these spending accounts with insurance coverage to further enhance the employee experience. As with LSAs, employers fund lifestyle spending account insurance, offering employees a designated amount of money for a customized selection of approved expenses. This flexibility empowers employees to balance their desires for work satisfaction, wellness, and financial stability.

Efficiently administered through HRA administration and software, employers can customize LSAs to meet the unique needs of their workforce. As the popularity of lifestyle spending account insurance grows, employees can expect to gain greater autonomy in their healthcare choices, while employers continue to set themselves apart as supportive and innovative organizations.

Understanding Lifestyle Spending Accounts

Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) are employer-funded benefits that provide employees with a flexible allowance to cover various health and wellness expenses. These accounts are designed to support employee health and happiness, leading to increased productivity at work.

LSAs grant employees the freedom to choose what’s important to them in terms of wellness activities or services. They are fully customizable and can include expenses like gym memberships, fitness classes, mental health support, and more.

The main advantage of LSAs is the flexibility they offer, enabling employees to access health and wellness services they might not have otherwise. This flexibility is particularly attractive for companies aiming to attract and retain top talent since it is considered a valuable perk.

Check out our 2024 Employee Benefits Guide for more perks!

Lifestyle Spending Account vs. Traditional Benefits

Comparing Lifestyle Spending Accounts to traditional health insurance benefits, we can observe some differences:

Flexibility: LSAs allow more choices for employees, who can use the allowance for a broader range of health and wellness activities. Traditional benefits typically have narrower definitions of covered services.
Personalization: LSAs let employees tailor their benefits to suit their individual needs and preferences, whereas traditional benefits are often generalized to fit the entire company’s needs.
Perks: LSAs are often seen as a competitive perk. They send a strong signal to employees, showing that their employer genuinely cares about their well-being and work-life balance.
Simplicity: LSAs can be easier to manage for both employers and employees since they are not bound by the same rules and regulations as traditional insurance plans.

Lifestyle Spending Accounts provide employees with a flexible and personalized approach to health and wellness. With LSAs, employers can support their team members more effectively, improving employee satisfaction and productivity.

Eligible Expenses and Compliance

Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) are employer-funded benefits designed to support your health and wellness. They can help you make better lifestyle choices, leading to increased happiness and productivity at work. Eligible expenses under LSAs can be split into several categories:

Physical Wellness: Expenses related to supporting physical well-being such as gym memberships, athletic equipment, and accessories, as well as exercise equipment.
Lifestyle: Covering expenses related to personal or recreational activities such as hobbies, travel, and other forms of entertainment.

These categories often feature expenses that would not typically qualify as qualified medical expenses under FSAs or HSAs.

Compliance and Tax Implications

When implementing an LSA program, there are several compliance considerations and tax implications you should be aware of:

Taxable Income: Do treat LSA expenses as taxable income, as they are not tax-advantaged accounts like FSAs or HSAs. Including LSA benefits as part of your taxable income ensures proper compliance.
Eligible Expense Parameters: Employers should set parameters for eligible expenses that factor a wide range of individual employee needs and adhere to any relevant guidelines.
Record-Keeping and Proof: To maintain compliance, ensure that you retain records and proof of eligible expenses for any potential audits or inquiries.
Clear Communication: Keep your LSA program transparent and communicate its rules and benefits to employees to avoid confusion regarding eligible expenses and tax implications.

By understanding the various categories of eligible expenses and maintaining compliance with necessary guidelines, your LSA can support your fitness and well-being while keeping employees aware of all requirements.

Integration with Other Accounts: Harmonizing LSAs, FSAs, HSAs, and HRAs

Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) each play a distinct role in a comprehensive employee benefits package.

Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs)

LSAs, funded by employers, are flexible accounts that enhance financial wellness by supporting a variety of lifestyle and wellness-related expenses. Tailored by employers, these accounts can be seamlessly integrated with other benefits offered, such as HRAs through services like Take Command, creating a comprehensive package that addresses broader aspects of employee well-being.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

FSAs are employee-funded and aimed at covering qualified medical, dental, and dependent care expenses. Contributions are pre-tax, reducing taxable income. However, they come with a “use-it-or-lose-it” policy, potentially leading to forfeiture of unused funds at the plan year’s end, subject to employer policies.

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)

Available to individuals with high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), HSAs are tax-advantaged and can receive contributions from both the employee and employer. These accounts are used for qualified medical expenses and, unlike FSAs, have no “use-it-or-lose-it” rule, allowing fund rollover and potential growth over time.

Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs)

HRAs are employer-funded plans that reimburse employees for qualified medical expenses up to a fixed dollar amount. When combined with an LSA through platforms like Take Command, employers can offer a more personalized benefits experience, aligning with the specific health and lifestyle needs of their employees.

Maximizing Benefits Across Accounts

Effective use of these accounts involves strategic planning:

LSAs: Allocate LSA funds to eligible well-being expenses not covered by FSAs or HSAs, like gym memberships or personal development courses.

FSAs: Carefully plan FSA contributions based on anticipated medical and dependent care expenses, using funds for expenses not covered by insurance or HSAs, while avoiding excessive end-of-year balances.

HSAs: For those eligible, prioritize HSA contributions to build a tax-free, long-term savings reserve for future medical expenses.

HRAs: Use HRA benefits for specific medical expenses, complementing the broader lifestyle focus of LSAs.

Understanding the unique benefits of LSAs, FSAs, HSAs, and HRAs, and how they can be integrated, especially through platforms like Take Command, enables employees to fully leverage their financial wellness programs and maximize their benefits.

Employee Engagement and Retention

A Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA) is a valuable employee benefit that can enhance your company’s talent retention efforts. LSAs offer employees the flexibility to access funds for a variety of wellness and lifestyle-related purposes, improving their work-life balance and satisfaction. By providing this unique benefit, your business could stand out among competitors as offering a competitive benefits package.

Increased employee engagement: Employees are more likely to be invested in their work when they feel valued by their employer. Offering LSAs demonstrates your commitment to their well-being.
Enhanced productivity: Satisfied employees are more likely to perform efficiently and contribute effectively, making LSAs a wise investment for organizations of all sizes.
Promotes company loyalty: By supporting employees in their pursuit of personal and professional goals, you encourage long-term commitment to your company.

Fostering a Positive Workplace Culture

Cultivating a strong workplace culture requires more than just offering competitive wages; it necessitates a comprehensive approach that includes tailored wellness programs specific to your team. Integrating LSAs into your employee benefits program allows you to:

Support diverse needs: LSAs empower employees to choose how they would like to use their benefit funds, addressing individual requirements and promoting inclusivity.
Encourage personal growth: LSAs can be used for purposes such as gym memberships, educational courses, or mental health services, enabling employees to progress within, and outside of, the workplace.

A survey conducted among employees could be a vital tool to evaluate the impact of LSAs on employee engagement and retention, measuring how well these accounts contribute to overall satisfaction and loyalty.

By incorporating Lifestyle Spending Accounts into your organization’s benefits strategy, you can demonstrate your commitment to employee well-being, foster a positive workplace culture, and improve talent retention efforts, all of which lead to a more productive and satisfied workforce.

Administration of Lifestyle Spending Accounts

To set up a Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA), you’ll first need to establish eligibility criteria based on your company’s goals and policies. LSAs are employer-funded, so it’s essential to determine the amount of your budget that you’re willing to allocate toward employee allowances. It’s recommended to consult a financial advisor to help you with this process.

Next, it’s important to establish the types of expenses that will be eligible for reimbursement under your company’s LSA. The LSA is designed to support employees’ health and wellness, so selecting a variety of qualifying expenses can make your program more versatile and attractive to employees. Some common reimbursable expenses include:

Gym memberships
Nutrition counseling
Mental health services
Financial planning services

Once the above criteria are defined, you can integrate your company’s LSA with your existing reimbursement process or work with an LSA administration software provider like Take Command to streamline administration and compliance measures.

Managing Reimbursements and Funding

Managing reimbursements is a critical aspect of an LSA program. By taking a proactive approach, you can ensure timely reimbursements for your employees and maintain a clear financial overview of the program.

To manage reimbursements, develop a structured reimbursement process that includes:

Submission guidelines for employees: Outline the required documentation for an eligible expense, such as receipts or invoices, and set a clear timeline for when employees must submit their requests.
Approval process: Establish a person or team responsible for reviewing and approving reimbursement requests. This may be your HR department or another designated group within your organization.
Payment schedule: Decide on a payment schedule for approved reimbursements, taking into account the frequency (monthly, quarterly, etc.) and any limits (per person or total program cost). This will help you maintain consistency and improve budgeting.

Keep in mind that employees’ LSA reimbursements are taxable as gross income. Consequently, ensure that your payroll department is aware of the LSA program’s tax implications and can properly account for the funds when calculating employees’ taxable income.

Employing an LSA administration and software company like Take Command can help you manage these processes effectively while maintaining compliance and reducing the administrative burden on your HR department.

Future of Employee Benefits and LSAs

As workplace culture evolves, so do employee benefits. Companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of offering flexible benefits to meet their employees’ diverse needs. Health plans, long considered standard, are now being expanded and customized with more choices and greater freedom for employees, enabling them to tailor their benefits to their personal requirements.

In addition to health plans, companies are focusing on other aspects of compensation like tuition assistance and student loan reimbursement programs. It appears that employees are eager for these benefits, with recent surveys highlighting their importance in attracting and retaining talent. Additionally, many companies are also offering financial planning services to help employees proactively manage their financial future.

Innovation in Lifestyle Spending Accounts

Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) are a testament to the growing demand for personalized benefits. With their non-salaried allowances, LSAs allow employees to allocate funds toward various expenses such as physical fitness, mental health, and personal development, further enhancing the focus on workplace culture. The flexible nature of LSAs has led to double-digit growth in adoption, as highlighted in a recent Benepass study.

Employers are increasingly using tools like LSAs to promote employee well-being, satisfaction, and ultimately, productivity. Providing employees with the flexibility to customize their benefits package not only helps attract top talent but also encourages employee retention.

As the benefits landscape continues to evolve, businesses need to stay ahead of the curve and offer innovative, flexible solutions such as LSAs. By giving employees greater control over their compensation and a wider array of benefits options, companies can foster a more engaged and fulfilled workforce, preparing them for the dynamic and ever-changing realities of modern employment.

Curious about setting up an HRA for your business? Talk to one of our HRA experts today! 

[Book a call]