Your FSA Expires December 31 — Here’s How to Spend It on Your Eyes
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There are only a few weeks left in the year, and if you have a Flexible Spending Account, that deadline is real. Most FSA balances vanish on December 31. Whatever you don’t spend goes back to your employer, not to you.
Here’s the part people miss: your FSA doesn’t care whether a practice is in your insurance network. It’s your money, set aside from your own paycheck, and you can spend it wherever you choose to get care. Union Family Eye Associates doesn’t file insurance — but your FSA and HSA dollars work here exactly the same as anywhere else.
We still have December appointments open in Matthews. If you want new glasses in hand before the 31st, the practical cutoff for ordering lenses is the first week of December, not the last. Progressives, scleral lenses and other custom work need even more lead time.
What expires and what doesn’t
FSA funds are use-it-or-lose-it. Some employers offer a short grace period into the new year or let you carry over a limited amount, but many offer neither. Check with your benefits administrator now so you know your actual deadline — not the one you’re assuming.
HSA funds don’t expire — they’re yours permanently, and they roll over year after year. But if you’ve already met your medical deductible this year, care you receive before December 31 may cost you less than the same care in January.
Vision plan allowances reset annually and don’t carry forward. We aren’t in your plan’s network, so we can’t bill it for you. If your plan includes out-of-network benefits, we’ll give you an itemized statement you can submit for reimbursement yourself — ask us at checkout and we’ll make sure it has everything your plan needs.
What your FSA and HSA cover here
Exams and medical eye care: comprehensive eye exams, contact lens exams and fittings, diabetic eye exams, glaucoma and retinal testing, dry eye evaluations and treatment, urgent visits for red eye, foreign bodies and injuries, children’s myopia management, and LASIK consultations and co-management.
Prescription eyewear: eyeglasses, prescription sunglasses, progressives and bifocals, anti-reflective and photochromic lens upgrades, prescription blue light glasses, safety glasses, sports goggles, kids’ frames, and backup pairs.
Contacts and supplies: dailies, monthlies, toric, multifocal and scleral lenses, ortho-k and myopia control lenses, annual supplies bought in advance, plus solution and cases.
Over the counter: artificial tears, allergy drops, warm compress masks, lid wipes, and readers — no prescription needed.
Because we’re a direct-pay practice, there’s no deductible to chase and no claim to wait on. You know the cost before you commit, and your FSA card settles it at checkout.
If a big December purchase is the problem
Spending an FSA balance is easy. Covering the part your FSA won’t stretch to is the harder half. We offer payment plans through Cherry — 3 to 24 months, with 0% APR for qualifying patients, and applying doesn’t affect your credit score. Pair your remaining FSA dollars with a payment plan and a pair of glasses you actually want stops being a January problem.
And if this happens to you every year
If you’ve spent a few Decembers discovering your vision plan didn’t cover much of what you actually needed, our in-office Vision Membership Plan is built for exactly that. Members get a $0 comprehensive exam, discounts on frames, lenses, sunwear and dry eye treatment, and a contact lens allowance — with no deductibles, no claim forms and no network. Plans start at $20 a month for adults and $12 for children.
A few things to know: the membership is not insurance, and it can’t be combined with a vision or medical plan. It’s a direct agreement between you and the practice. Check with us to see if it makes sense with your FSA before enrolling.
Find us in Matthews
Union Family Eye Associates — 1013 Chestnut Lane, Suite 210, Matthews, NC 28104 | (704) 821-5009
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 8:00am–5:00pm. Wednesday 9:00am–6:00pm. Friday 8:00am–12:00pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
You can call or text us at (704) 821-5009. We accept cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, CareCredit, and FSA and HSA cards directly at checkout.
Quick answers
Can I use my FSA card if you don’t take my insurance? Yes. FSA and HSA cards aren’t tied to any network — they’re your own pre-tax dollars. We accept them at checkout like any other card.
What if my FSA card is declined? It happens, usually on mixed purchases. We’ll give you an itemized receipt to submit for reimbursement, and you’ll get the money back.
Can I still use my vision insurance? Not directly — we don’t file claims. If your plan has out-of-network benefits, we’ll provide an itemized statement you can submit yourself.
Can I buy sunglasses? Prescription sunglasses qualify. Non-prescription pairs generally don’t.
Is it too late to get glasses before December 31? Not yet, but order by early December to be safe — and remember we close at noon on Fridays.
Do I need an exam for contacts? Yes. Federal law requires a valid, unexpired prescription, and the fitting itself is FSA and HSA eligible.
Book before the 31st
Call or text (704) 821-5009 or book online. Bring your FSA or HSA card, and let us know if you’ll need an itemized statement for reimbursement — we’ll have it ready before you leave.