Before the end of your benefits year, check the actual plan’s coverage period, claim-submission deadline and carry-forward rules. The plan year may differ from the calendar year.

Spending account reminders and deadlines

Spending-account benefits reset according to the employer’s plan year. Check whether unused benefits expire or may be carried forward; December 31 is not a universal HSA deadline.

Current year claims

Submit expenses incurred during the applicable coverage period by the plan’s stated deadline. A run-out period may allow submission after the plan year ends, but its availability and length depend on the plan.

Remaining balance

Carry-forward must be permitted by the plan and meet applicable PHSP conditions. CRA’s archived IT-529 paragraph 16 discusses carrying forward either unused credits or eligible expenses, not both, for up to 12 months. Ask the administrator how the plan applies carried-forward benefits; a first-in-first-out rule is not universal.

Health and dental premiums

An employee-paid premium may qualify for HSA reimbursement where the underlying insurance is a qualifying PHSP and the employer HSA permits the expense. Check the medical component, the employee-paid amount, available benefits and supporting records; a 50% cost-sharing rate is only one possible plan arrangement.

Check both plans’ coverage and reimbursement rules. An HSA allowance is not itself insurance against a catastrophic bill, and reimbursement is not guaranteed merely because a premium was paid.

Health and Dental insurance deadlines and reminders

Health and dental insurance uses the policy’s coverage year and submission rules. Check the actual policy rather than assuming a January-to-December year or an automatic grace period.

It is always best to confirm with your insurance provider how long you have to submit claims from the previous year. No matter the length of time allotted to you, claims must be submitted prior to that deadline. 

Annual maximums reset

Annual benefit maximums reset on the policy’s specified renewal date. Confirm that date, remaining coverage and any treatment-specific limits before arranging care.

Depending on the benefits plan, certain items, like hearing aids, could be tied to a frequency limit instead of an annual maximum and such, the maximum does not reset each year. Instead, it resets after a certain number of years or months has elapsed since the previous purchase. 

Dental-access reporting for the Canadian Dental Care Plan

Employer dental-access reporting began with the 2023 reporting year. For 2023 and later years, T4 box 45 reports the employee’s and eligible family members’ access to employer-offered dental coverage on December 31 of the reporting year. T4A reporting has separate instructions.

Use the applicable CRA code for the dental access offered on that date. An HSA that makes dental coverage available can count as access, including where the employee does not use it. Check the actual coverage and current CRA instructions rather than treating every HSA as identical.

Here is a breakdown of the codes:

  • Code 1 – No access to any dental care insurance, or coverage of dental services of any kind.
  • Code 2 – Access to any dental care insurance, or coverage of dental services of any kind for only the payee.
  • Code 3 – Access to any dental care insurance, or coverage of dental services of any kind for payee, spouse and dependents.
  • Code 4 – Access to any dental care insurance, or coverage of dental services of any kind for only the payee and their spouse.
  • Code 5 – Access to any dental care insurance, or coverage of dental services of any kind for only the payee and dependents.

Sources checked October 21, 2026: CRA: medical benefits and PHSP treatment; CRA archived IT-529: flexible benefits and carry-forward; CRA: T4 slip instructions and dental-access reporting.