Effective 1/1/2013 the University of Arkansas changed Flexible Spending Account Administrators from QualChoice to UMR (a division of United Healthcare).   QualChoice will administer the UA's 2012 FSA plan through 4/30/2013.   Employees who participated in an FSA in 2012 and who still have account balances will have until 3/15/2013 to incur expenses that can apply to their 2012 FSA balances.   All requests for reimbursement from your 2012 FSA accounts must be received by QualChoice no later than 3/31/2013.   Your QC Flex Benefit Card (Health Care Reimbursement only) will continue to work through 3/15/2013 for expenses that you want to apply to your 2012 balances.  Remember, any FSA expenses incurred through 3/15/2013 that you want to apply to your 2012 FSA plan must be sent to QualChoice and not UMR.

The Flexible Benefit Plan is a voluntary employee benefit plan established by your employer under Section 125 of the IRS Code which permits employees to pay for certain eligible expenses with pre-tax dollars. Get the full Flexible Benefit Plan Summary Plan Description.

Click Here to access additional FSA information from UMR's website.

Premium Conversion

Premium Coversion allows you to pay your Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Premiums on a tax-exempt basis.   Your premiums are deducted from your pay before federal, state, and social security taxes are calculated.   Once you elect to "pre-tax" your premiums, you cannot change or cancel your premiums during the calendar year unless you are with 31 days of a qualifying event as defined by the IRS.   Qualifying events are generally related to family status changes such as marriage, divorce, and birth.  

Flexible Spending Accounts

Flexible Spending Accounts allow you to have tax exempt dollars deducted from your paycheck to cover unreimbursed health and dependent care expenses.


Consider enrolling in a Health Care Reimbursement FSA if you have out-of-pocket medical expenses like co-payments, co-insurances, deductibles, dental care, vision care, eyeglasses, and contact lenses. The maximum annual contriubtion to health care is $2,500, the minimum contribution is $120.


Consider enrolling in a Dependent Care Reimbursement Account if youhve qualifying daycare day care expenses for dependent children under age 13 ir and elderly person or persons with a disability as long as they are claimed as dependents for federal tax purposes.  The maximum annual contribution is the lesser of $5,000, your salary, your spouse's salary or your eligible expenses; the minimum annual contribution is $120.

To participate in the Flexible Benefit Plan, you must be an active, regular, fulltime or part-time appointed employee of the University who works twenty or more hours a week.