The Flex Spending Account (FSA) is a voluntary, negotiated benefit for state employees. Flexible spending accounts give you a way to pay for your qualifying health care, dependent care or adoption expenses with pretax dollars. You decide how much to have taken out of your paycheck and put into your FSA account(s).

The 2026 plan year is January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.

The HCSA lets you set aside any amount from $100 up to $3,400 for the 2026 plan year to pay for qualifying and medically necessary health care expenses for you and your eligible dependents that are not reimbursed by your health insurance or other benefit plans.

The full amount that you choose to contribute is available from at the start of the plan year. Returning participants from the 2025 plan year will continue to use the debit card that was issued as it is good for four consecutive years. New participants will receive their debit card by January 1, 2026. 

The DCAA allows your family to set aside up to $7,500 per household in pre-tax dollars for eligible custodial child care, elder care, and disabled dependent care expenses that are necessary for you and your spouse, if you are married, to work.

You may be eligible for an employer contribution from New York State to help you pay for dependent care expenses. Toreceive this contribution, you need to enroll in the DCAA employer contribution.

State employees may contribute up to $17,670 in the Adoption Advantage Account through pre-tax payroll deductions and may be used for qualified adoption expenses. 

New York State employees who work for the State University of New York are eligible to participate in the Dependent Care Advantage Account and Adoption Advantage Account.

There are additional requirements to participate in the Health Care Spending Account:

• Be either permanently employed or expect to be employed for the entire calendar year in which they plan to enroll in the HCSA (employees who work on a semester or school year basis are also eligible)
• Are employed on an annual-salaried basis
• Work at least half-time
• Meet the eligibility criteria for enrollment in the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP)
• Designated Management/Confidential or represented by CSEA, PEF, UUP, NYSCOPBA, Council 82, PBANYS, or PBA.

To enroll you will need your name, address, phone number and:

• NYS ID
  
• Department ID
• Negotiating unit
• Amount of money you want to set aside in your plan year

You must enroll during the open enrollment period if you would like to contribute to an FSA. Once enrolled in the FSA, you may not change your mind. Your pre-tax deductions will continue throughout the plan year. However, if you experience a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) during the plan year, you may be permitted to enroll or change your contribution amount, if it is consistent with the event.

If you experience a QLE during the plan year, you must submit a QLE application within 60 calendar days of the event, but as soon as possible to prevent unwanted, non-refundable deductions.

If you leave the payroll due to termination, leave without pay, or any other reason, your deductions will automatically stop. This may affect your coverage. 

Contact the FSA Plan Administrator if you experience a qualifying life event or leave payroll to understand your options.

Contact the FSA Hotline at 1-800-358-7202 or email fsa@oer.ny.gov.