On Monday, December 21, Congress passed a new $900 billion COVID stimulus bill (known as the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021). The legislation is aimed at helping Americans cope with challenges from the pandemic. Along with stimulus payments and other financial provisions, the bill also includes modified carryover and dependent rules for Dependent Care Assistance Plan (DCAP) benefits, spend down for health Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), election changes, and other updates. President Trump approved the bill on Sunday, December 27.

Traditionally, DCAP benefits have not included a carryover provision. However, with millions of working people at home and children out of day care and before- and after-school care programs, many were left with a hefty unused sum in their DCAP benefits.

Congress and other federal agencies have worked to provide relief for people affected by the healthcare crisis. In March 2020, Congress passed the CARES Act and the IRS increased the maximum carryover amounts for health FSAs. There have also been bipartisan attempts to pass a special carryover provision for DCAP accounts (also called Dependent Care FSAs).

Health FSA and DCAP Updates in New Stimulus Bill

In Section 214 of the bill, the legislation allows – but does not require – employers to permit the following:

• Health FSA and DCAP carryover: allow health FSA and DCAP plans to carryover all unused amounts from 2020 to 2021 and from 2021 to 2022
• Extended grace period: permit a 12-month grace period for unused benefits or contributions in health and dependent care FSAs for plan years ending in 2020 or 2021
• Health FSA spend down: permit health FSA participants who terminate during the 2020 or 2021 plan year to spend down any unused balance through the end of the plan year in which the termination occurred; this includes any grace period;
• Update DCAP age limits: extend the maximum age of eligible dependents from 12 to 13 for dependent care FSAs for the 2020 plan year; it also allows the increased age limit for unused amounts from the 2020 plan year carried over into the 2021 plan year; and
• Election amount changes: allow for prospective changes to election amounts for health and dependent care FSAs for plan years ending in 2021 without a corresponding qualifying life event (change to marital status; birth/adoption or death of a dependent; change in employment status; etc).

Plan Amendments Required

These changes are not mandatory and employers may choose to adopt some changes without having to adopt them all.

The deadline to make amendments is the last day of the first calendar year beginning after the end of the plan year in which the amendment is effective. In other words, to adopt the changes for a plan year starting January 1, 2021, you must amend your plan by December 31, 2022. Plan docs may be changed retroactively so long as they are consistent with the relief provided in this regulation.

Adopting these carryover provisions may affect HSA eligibility.

If you would like to have your plan amended, Superior State will provide you an amendment for your plan for an additional $50 fee.