A Quick and Cost-Effective Way to Access Your VEBA/HRA Funds: the Benefit Debit Card for Mail-order Rx Copays

This post was written by Karni Adamson, Senior Sales Relationship Manager, for BPAS VEBA & HRA/HSA Services.

With healthcare costs on the rise, we’re always looking for ways to save. For those people whose employers offer a VEBA, there’s a quick and easy way to get even more out of your healthcare dollars.

The VEBA

The VEBA – paired with an HRA (Health Reimbursement Arrangement) – is a tax-sheltered arrangement where your employer deposits funds into a VEBA account out of which you can be reimbursed for current or future out-of-pocket, health-related expenses.   

The VEBA doesn’t replace your group health insurance plan, but it definitely works in conjunction with your insurance plan to provide additional coverage options.

Rx in Your Health Plan

Your employer-sponsored health insurance plan probably includes prescription drug coverage on a copay basis. (For example, you pay $10 for a 30-day supply of cholesterol medication.) It’s likely your health plan also offers a mail-order prescription drug service that can save you money on your copays AND deliver the drugs to your desired address.

These copays, whether you pick up your drugs at the pharmacy or receive them through mail order, are reimbursable under the VEBA and are 99.8% substantiated if you use your BPAS /debit card. Your BPAS card allows you real-time access to your VEBA account and BPAS will most likely not require any other proof for the Rx copay(s) claim after your card swipe (but always save a copy of your receipts for tax purposes).

Use Your Benefit Card with Ease

So if you or your dependents are taking ongoing prescriptions, and you want to save time and money on your Rx through the mail with ease of access to your BPAS VEBA account, check your health care plan for mail-order instructions. Then provide your Rx mail-order vendor with your BPAS VEBA /debit card information and set it and forget until your next Rx renewal.