Use up your FSA money before the deadline with AI

List your FSA balance and family needs and get a plan to spend it on eligible things before the money is gone.

The problem

Many people with a health or dependent care FSA find out in December that they still have money left, and depending on the plan, some of it may be lost after the deadline. Then they either rush to buy random items or let the money go.

Step by step

1. 1Log in to your FSA account and write down your balance, your plan's deadline, and whether it has a grace period or carryover. Your benefits guide or HR will have these.
2. 2List upcoming care your family already needs, like an eye exam, glasses, contacts, dental work or prescriptions, plus everyday items you buy anyway.
3. 3Paste the balance, deadline and list into the prompt below to get a spending plan in order of what matters most.
4. 4Check that each item is eligible on your FSA provider's eligible-items list before you buy, and keep every receipt.
5. 5Submit claims right away, and use what you learned to set next year's contribution during open enrollment.

Copy-paste prompt

Help me use my FSA money before the deadline. FSA type: [health care or dependent care]. Balance: [amount]. Plan deadline: [date]. Grace period or carryover: [what my plan says, or not sure]. Care my family already needs: [e.g., eye exams and glasses for two people, a dental cleaning, refill of allergy meds]. Everyday items we buy anyway: [e.g., sunscreen, first-aid supplies, contact solution]. Give me: (1) a spending plan in order of priority that stays within my balance; (2) appointments to book now, before calendars fill up in December; (3) a short list of questions to ask HR or my FSA provider. Don't tell me an item is eligible as fact; mark each one [CHECK ELIGIBLE] so I confirm it with my provider.

Tips and watch-outs

• Check every item on your FSA provider's eligible-items list; AI can get eligibility wrong.
• Your plan's deadline, grace period and carryover rules decide how much you could lose, so read your benefits guide or ask HR.
• Don't paste your member ID, SSN or medical records into the AI chat; amounts and general needs are enough.

Review AI output before using it. Don’t paste confidential, customer or patient data into tools your company hasn’t approved.