Kern County Health and Wellness offers the following flexible spending accounts (FSAs) administered by American Fidelity:

• Medical Expenses Reimbursement Account
• Dependent Care Account

These elections (choices) can be changed only during the annual open enrollment period or after a qualifying change in family status. Open enrollment changes are effective the first day of the next calendar year, and elections (choices) made will be in effect for the entire calendar year. They cannot be changed outside of open enrollment unless there is a qualifying change in family status. Employees must re-enroll each year they wish to participate in flexible spending accounts.

• Setting Up Your AFmobile App

Administrator: American Fidelity

Phone: 1-800-662-1113

Medical Expense Reimbursement Account

This account helps participants pay out-of-pocket medical costs while increasing spendable income. Participants may elect an amount to be deducted on a pre-tax basis from their pay to go into this spending account. After submitting receipts for qualified expenses, participants are directly reimbursed from this account.

Additional Information

• Expenses
• Utilizing the Flexible Spending Account (PDF)

Dependent Care Account

This account helps make dependent care expenses more affordable. Participants may elect an amount to be deducted on a pre-tax basis from their pay to go into this spending account. Participants are reimbursed from this account as expenses are incurred and paid.

Additional Information

• Dependent Day Care (PDF)

All claims costs for the Dependent Care Account and  the Medical Expense Reimbursement Account must be incurred during the calendar year (which is the plan year) for which the employee made the election and also during a period in which the employee was a participant in the plan.

Claims must be submitted for reimbursement by March 31 of the next plan year.

Employees who cease to participate or separate from service mid-year have a 90-day grace period to file claims after the date their participation ended.

Any unused monies that have been deducted for the flexible spending accounts are forfeited to the plan. Enrolled participants either use the benefit or lose it.

Kern County has elected the Carryover Provision. This means that any Flexible Spending Account Balance of $550 or less as of the end of the plan year will automatically carryover into the next plan year. Reimbursement claims for expenses during the plan year can be reimbursed by March 31st.

Reimbursement claims can be submitted via:

• FSA Reimbursement Claim Form(PDF)
• AFmobile App
• American Fidelity Member Portal

Please note that a claim submitted by completing the FSA Reimbursement Claim Form can take up to 10 business days to be processed.

For information about submitting claims, contact American Fidelity at 1-800-662-1113.

Additional Information

• FSA Expense Worksheet (PDF)