Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA) are highly customizable benefit plans funded by the employer to cover various employee expenses. If you are considering offering a new HRA or thinking about making changes to your existing HRA, the following is a list of possible plan design options. This list is not exhaustive. If you have questions about additional options not listed here please contact your account manager.

Eligible Expenses

• Co-pays
• Co-insurance
• Deductible Services Covered by Health Insurance Plan
• IRC 213 Expenses (the same as FSA eligible expenses, including over-the-counter drugs)
• Dental Expenses
• Vision Expenses
• Other expenses as defined by your plan document

Reimbursement Structure

• First Dollar - Reimbursement begins immediately upon incurring eligible expenses.
• Percentage of Each Claim - Reimburses only a portion of each eligible expense.
• HRA Deductible - Employee must pay a portion of expenses out of pocket before reimbursement begins.
• Other structure as defined by your plan document

Reimbursement Hierarchy

• If you also offer a FSA plan, you may indicate which plan (the HRA or FSA) will pay expenses first.

Unused Funds

• Amounts not used during the coverage period can be forfeited or carried forward to the next coverage period. If electing the carry forward method, you have the option to set a maximum dollar amount that can be carried forward and a maximum accumulation limit.

Processing Method

• Auto-Pay - Sentinel will receive an electronic file directly from your insurance carrier that will include a Claims Summary for all claims submitted to the carrier. Sentinel currently supports auto-pay through the following insurance carriers:
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA (BCBSMA)
  • Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HPHC)
  • Tufts
  • Mass General Brigham Health Plan
  • Blue Benefit Administrators
  • Health Plans Inc.
• Online Claims - Participants will enter their claims on Sentinel's participant website. Employees will be responsible for providing a claim summary with their request.
• Manual Claim Process - Participants will obtain a claim form from Sentinel and mail, fax or email the form to Sentinel along with the claim summary.
• Debit Card - This may only be used with certain reimbursement structures.