Employee Benefits
Employee Benefits

ARBenefits Upcoming HSA Transition Period

Upcoming HSA transition period occurring March 11 – April 3, 2026

As the final phase of the transfer of remaining funds from Optum Bank to Beneliance, there will be two back-to-back processing windows during which time certain transactions will be temporarily restricted.

Please review the details below so you can plan accordingly.

Transition Period with Optum Bank:
March 11 – March 25, 2026

During this time, your remaining Optum HSA cash balance will be transferred to Beneliance. While the transfer is in process:

  • Debit card transactions tied to your Optum HSA will be disabled
  • Online distributions and transfers from Optum will not be available
  • Investment trades (if applicable) will be restricted
  • No outgoing transactions can be processed from the Optum account

Only cash balances are eligible for transfer.

In order for investment balances to be included in the coordinated transfer, account holders were required to liquidate investments directly with Optum Bank by February 25, 2026. Investment balances not liquidated by the deadline remain at Optum and will not transfer as part of this coordinated process.

Posting & Reconciliation Window with Beneliance:
March 25 – April 3, 2026

Once transferred funds are received from Optum Bank, there may be a brief posting and reconciliation period. During this time:

  • Access to transferred funds may be temporarily unavailable
  • Debit card usage related to transferred amounts may be delayed
  • Online reimbursements from transferred balances may be restricted

Full access to transferred funds is expected to be restored on April 4, 2026.

What Remains Available Throughout the Transition Period

  • Payroll contributions that began flowing to your Beneliance HSA on January 1, 2026 will remain accessible during this transition.
  • Only funds being transferred from Optum may be temporarily restricted while processing is completed.

To avoid inconvenience, you may wish to:

  • Plan ahead for upcoming medical or pharmacy expenses
  • Use an alternate form of payment during blackout dates if needed
  • Save your receipts and reimburse yourself once access is restored

Remember, there is no deadline to reimburse yourself from your HSA, provided the expense was eligible and incurred after your HSA was established.

Important Information for Accounts Remaining at Optum
If you have funds remaining at Optum after the coordinated transfer period:

  • A $4 monthly maintenance fee will begin May 2, 2026
  • A $20 account closure fee may apply if you transfer your account
  • EBD will not cover transfer fees after May 1, 2026.

Tax Reporting Information
Because your HSA will be held by two HSA providers during 2026, you may receive tax forms from both administrators for that tax year.

Each HSA provider will report only the activity that occurred while your account was held with them. The transfer of funds between HSA providers is a trustee-to-trustee transfer and is not taxable.

Annual HSA contribution limits, including catch-up contributions for individuals age 55 or older, continue to apply across all custodians combined.

For questions, contact Beneliance at [email protected] or 501-687-6975.

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