SF MRA – General Questions
What is the SF Medical Reimbursem*nt Account (SF MRA)?
The SF MRA benefit gives you access to funds so you can get reimbursed for health insurance and other health-related expenses. The ultimate goal of the SF MRA benefit is to help you achieve excellent health. Your spouse, domestic partner, and any dependents can also access these funds.
You can still use your SF MRA after you no longer work for the employer who made the deposits. SF MRA funds are available to spend as long as your account is active. Keep your account active by submitting at least one SF MRA claim every 36 months.
If you don’t submit a claim within that period, your account will be permanently closed. You can learn more about the account closure policy.
There is a $3.15 administrative fee subtracted from your MRA each month, whether or not you use your SF MRA that month.
Only health care expenses incurred on or after the effective date of your SF MRA are eligible for reimbursem*nt. Your SF MRA effective date is the date an employer’s first payment for you clears in our system.
Do I have an SF MRA?
Contact SF City Option at 1(877) 772-0415 or email info@sfcityoption.org for more information.
Am I eligible to enroll in SF MRA?
You may qualify for SF MRA if your employer makes payment to SF City Option on your behalf. Complete our eligibility survey.
Why am I not eligible for SF MRA?
If you receive notice that you are not eligible for the SF MRA benefit, this may be because you do not meet one or more of the eligibility requirements.
Eligibility requirements may include:
- If you worked in San Francisco anytime from 2008 onwards.
- If you worked in San Francisco for more than 90 days in total.
- If you worked in San Francisco for more than 8 hours per week, on average.
- If the company had more than 20 employees worldwide.
How do I enroll in SF MRA?
Complete the SF MRA Enrollment Form. Once we receive your SF MRA Enrollment form, you will be notified by SF City Option within 3 weeks of your status. You must first enroll in SF MRA before you can access existing funds. Fill out the online SF MRA Enrollment Form.
How do I keep my SF MRA Active?
Your SF MRA funds are available to spend, in the form of reimbursem*nt, if your account is active. To keep your account active, you must submit at least one SF MRA claim every 36 months.
If there are no claims or employer deposits in over 36 months, your account will close, and you will not be able to use the SF MRA funds.
You can still use your SF MRA after you stop working for an employer who made the deposits.
What happens to my account if I don’t use it?
The San Francisco Health Commission approved a policy in January 2022 to permanently close employee accounts that have not been used for a 3-year consecutive period. Any funds in those account will also be permanently reverted to the City and County of San Francisco. This policy is consistent with existing state law (Government Code 50050).
The policy is effective March 1, 2023. That means the SF City Option program will begin tracking accounts that have had no activity for a three-year consecutive period beginning March 1, 2023, and beyond. The earliest any accounts could potentially be permanently closed is April 2026.
Learn more about account closure policy.
How much will an SF MRA cost me?
There is a $3.15 administrative fee subtracted from the available funds in each SF MRA monthly, whether or not you use the account that month. Administrative fees will not be subtracted from the account if the available balance is less than $3.15.
SF MRA – Funds Questions
How do I know if I have funds in an SF MRA?
You must first be enrolled in the SF MRA benefit to learn if you have available funds from an employer. To enroll follow the steps listed on Enroll in SF MRA.
If you are already enrolled and have an SF MRA, you can check your account balance online at participant.wageworks.com/sfmra or call HealthEquity/WageWorks at 1(866) 697-6078.
Can I use my SF MRA to get reimbursed for health insurance premiums?
Yes, health insurance premiums, co-payments, health care payments, and deductibles are among the many health care expenses eligible for reimbursem*nt from SF MRAs.
What can I use the funds in my account for?
Funds in your account can be used to reimburse you, your spouse or domestic partner, and your dependents for eligible health expenses.
Who qualifies as my dependent?
A dependent is a child or relative who lives with you for more than half the year and receives more than half of their financial support from you.
Dependents may include full-time students ages 19 through 26 and children over age 19 who are permanently disabled.
A relative must receive more than half of their financial support from you and not be your child or the child of any other taxpayer to qualify as a dependent.
What expenses are eligible for reimbursem*nt?
To view a detailed list of health care expenses eligible for reimbursem*nt under the SF MRA, visit SF MRA Eligible Expenses page. Doctor’s office visits, co-pays, health insurance premiums, eyeglasses, and contact lenses, and prescription and over-the-counter medicines are among the many expenses eligible for reimbursem*nt.
SF MRA – Account Questions
How do I set up a Medical Reimbursem*nt Account?
For information on how to access your SF MRA funds, visit the Enroll in SF MRA page.
I enrolled in SF MRA but can’t register online with Health Equity/WageWorks?
Contact HealthEquity/WageWorks at 1(866) 697-6078 for help.
My employer made a deposit. When will I see the funds in my SF MRA?
Funds will be available in your SF MRA 1-3 weeks after each employer payment to our program.
How long will my SF MRA be available?
You can still use your SF MRA after you no longer work for the employer who made the deposits. SF MRA funds are available to spend as long as your account is active. Keep your account active by filing at least one SF MRA claim every 36 months.
Our program will close the SF MRA and you will not be able to spend the SF MRA funds if there have been no claims or deposits in over 36 months.
What is my SF MRA account balance?
Please call HealthEquity/WageWorks, our partner who maintains the accounts, at 1(866) 697-6078 for your account balance. You may also check your account balance online at participant.wageworks.com/sfmra.
How do I update my address or phone number?
You can manage this information online at participant.wageworks.com/sfmra or contact SF City Option at 1(877) 772-0415 or info@sfcityoption.org to find out more.
Who do I contact if I have questions about my SF MRA account?
HealthEquity/WageWorks Customer Service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer your specific questions about Medical Reimbursem*nt Accounts. Please call HealthEquity/WageWorks Customer Service at 1(866) 697-6078.
Can I still access my SF MRA account if I move out of state or out of the country?
Yes, you can still access your SF MRA account and submit claims for eligible expenses, even if you move out of state or to another country. When you submit your claim to HealthEquity/WageWorks, your claim documentation and proof of payment must be in English, and the claim amount in dollars.
Can a dependent access funds after a death?
SF MRA funds may be available after a participant’s death. SF MRA funds are also available for a spouse or domestic partner and dependents up to 24 months after the date of the account holder’s death.
How do I access the funds of a deceased spouse, domestic partner, or dependent after death?
An executor or legally authorized representative can submit claims for eligible expenses up to the date of the account holder’s death. Information needed for this process deceased would include:
- Date of account holder’s death
- Name of the authorized representative
- Relationship to the deceased
- Authorized representative’s address
- Authorized representative’s phone number
- One of the following: a Letter of Testamentary naming the executor, a copy of the court order appointing the administrator. OR, if no court-appointed representative exists, a completed Authorized Representative Declaration Form is needed.
SF MRA – The Claims Process
How do I submit a claim?
You may submit receipts and claim forms online or by mail, fax, or mobile app and get reimbursed by check or direct deposit. For detailed information, please visit the Enroll in SF MRA page.
How far back can I submit a claim for reimbursem*nt?
Only health care expenses incurred on or after the effective date of your SF MRA are eligible for reimbursem*nt. Your SF MRA effective date is the date an employer’s first payment for you clears in our system.
How long does it take for me to be reimbursed for eligible health care expenses?
Claims are usually processed within 3 to 5 business days after claim submission.
Can I submit a claim larger than the available funds in my SF MRA?
If you submit a claim that is greater than the balance of your account, the claim is paid up to the available balance.
Is there a minimum claim amount?
No, you may submit a claim for as little as $0.01 and can still get reimbursed by check or direct deposit for the claim.
Is there a minimum amount for a reimbursem*nt check or direct deposit?
No, you may be reimbursed by check or direct deposit for as little as $0.01.
Is there a maximum number or amount of claims I can request per year?
No, you can send as many claims as you need. You receive reimbursem*nt up to the available account balance.
Can I cash out my SF MRA?
No, you can only use your SF MRA funds by sending claims for reimbursem*nt of eligible health care expenses.
SF MRA – Employer Payments
How do I know whether my employer made payments to the SF City Option for me?
Your employer should have sent a Health Care Payment Confirmation Notice to you after the first payment on your behalf. Our program also sends information to you by mail within 1-3 weeks of your employer’s first payment.
If you have questions about whether your employer has made a payment to the SF City Option Program, please contact your employer or contact SF City Option at 1(877) 772-0415 or email us at info@sfcityoption.org to find out more.
What do I do if my employer was supposed to contribute to the SF City Option program but there are no payments on my behalf in your system?
If you feel that you should be receiving some type of health benefit (health insurance, City Option benefit, or other benefit) please reach out to the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement at 1(415) 554-7892 or by email at HCSO@sfgov.org.
My employer made a payment to SF City Option for me. Am I eligible for an SF MRA?
Complete an SF MRA Enrollment Form to find if you are eligible for an SF MRA.
If you work in San Francisco or at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) you might be eligible for an SF Medical Reimbursem*nt Account (SF MRA).
If you have additional questions, contact SF City Option at 1(877) 772-0415 or email us at info@sfcityoption.org.
Can I still use my SF MRA after I no longer work for my employer?
Yes, you can still use the funds in your SF MRA after you no longer work for the employer who made the SF MRA deposits.
