If you enroll in the National Choice Plan or the Whole Health Plan medical options, you have the choice of pairing your medical coverage with a health savings account (HSA) or the Personal Wellness Account (PWA)—the two accounts have some of the same advantages, but also some important differences you need to learn more about before making your decision.

If you enroll in the National Select Plan, the plan comes with a Personal Wellness Account.

If you enroll in either account, it will automatically be set up in your name through our plan administrator, WEX, an outside financial institution.  All you will need to do is elect the account you want (and, if you elect a HSA, the amount you want to contribute to the account each year) during Annual Enrollment. Note: You must actively re-elect to participate in these accounts each year—they will not automatically continue from one year to the next.

Yes, if you are enrolled in one account and want to participate in the other one for the upcoming plan year, you can choose to switch, as long as you actively elect the other account during Annual Enrollment AND you are also enrolled in either the National Plan or the Whole Health Plan for the upcoming year.

If you switch from an HSA to a PWA, any unused HSA funds will remain in your HSA account. If you switch from a PWA to an HAS, any unused PWA funds will be moved to a Limited PWA, and those funds can only be used for eligible dental and vision expenses.

No. These are two separate accounts and transfers are not allowed between them.

That depends on how much you typically spend on health care. However, if you choose to enroll in an HSA, it’s a good idea to contribute pre-tax money of your own in addition to what WFM puts into the account. That way, if you do have unexpected medical expenses, the money is there when you need it. Plus, if you put more money in your account than you need, it’s still yours and can help cover future health care costs.

You can use either of the Health Funding Accounts—the HSA or the PWA—to reimburse yourself for eligible health care expenses, which include out-of-pocket expenses like doctor’s office visits, lab fees, prescription drugs, certain over-the-counter medications, acupuncture, chiropractic services, and more. For a full list of IRS-qualifying expenses, click here.

No. Most premiums are not considered a qualifying medical expense, per the IRS.

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Once your account is set up, you can go to www.wexinc.com to check your balances, request reimbursements, and update your personal information and preferences.

That depends on the account you’re enrolled in. If you’re enrolled in the HSA, you own the account, much like any bank account. This means you can take the funds in the account with you and continue to contribute on your own to the HSA.  If you enroll in the PWA, the company owns the account, so you are unable to take the account with you. Any funds remaining in the account would remain with WFM.