Who can participate
All regular full- and part-time employees. Commuter benefits are effective as of your hire date.
Overview
You can set aside pre-tax money through payroll contributions for commuting costs, such as public transportation, vanpools and parking. These accounts are administered by HSA Bank. For more information about commuter benefits, go to the Empyrean Benefits Enrollment platform. Once you are enrolled, you can access your HSA Bank accounts through a quick link in the lower left corner of your Empyrean site, under "Additional Items to Explore." Commuter benefits are effective as of your hire date. You can start, stop, or reduce your contributions at any time during the year. Any changes you make will be effective within one to two pay periods.
Note: If you’re also enrolled in an HSA or FSA, the Visa debit card you receive is the same one that you’ll use for your commuter benefit transactions.
How much you can contribute pre-tax
How much you can contribute pre-tax
- For parking, up to $315 a month
- For mass transit (bus, vanpool, subway, train), up $315 a month
These amounts are subject to change each year.
Accessing your account
You’ll receive a commuter benefits Visa debit card to pay for eligible parking and transportation expenses. When you use your card, the amount is deducted automatically from your account, provided you have available funds. Please note: You must purchase transit tickets in advance using the HSA Bank debit card. HSA Bank will not reimburse you for out-of-pocket transit expenses. You will still be able to file claims for parking expenses. Commuter funds can’t be refunded or transferred between transit and parking accounts.
Funds rollover
If you don’t use all the funds in your commuter account each month, unused funds will carry forward and can be used for future valid commuter expenses, as long as you remain an active employee. However, you only have 180 days from the date the claim was incurred to submit for reimbursement.
Claims that Exceed Monthly Maximums
Monthly claims cannot exceed the IRS monthly maximum. If you try to use your Visa debit card to pay for an expense that exceeds the monthly maximum, the expense will be denied. If you manually submit a commuter claim for an amount that exceeds the monthly allowed maximum, the claim will be paid up to the monthly maximum amount and any amount above the maximum will be denied, and you will need to re-file for the denied amount.
Enrolling as a New Hire
If you enroll as a new hire, your coverage is effective as of your date of hire. Funds aren’t available until after deductions are taken. Please note: You must purchase transit tickets in advance using the HSA Bank debit card. HSA Bank will not reimburse you for out-of-pocket transit expenses. You will still be able to file claims for parking expenses.
If You Have a Large Balance
You can reduce your election or elect $0 on the Empyrean Benefits Enrollment platform and still use the funds already available in your HSA Bank account.
Claims at Termination
If your employment ends, or if you terminate the plan as part of a qualified life event change, your commuter benefits coverage ends on the termination date. You have 90 days from the termination date to submit parking claims for expenses incurred no more than 180 days before termination. Parking claims will not be approved for services incurred after your termination date, nor if the claim is older than 180 days.
You forfeit any funds remaining in your account after all qualified claims have been paid.