Health Care’s Flexible, Affordable Answer

Saving for retirement is important, but many people don’t take into consideration the rising costs of health care. The MERS Health Care Savings Program is designed to help you prepare for those costs after you leave your employer, with an invested account you manage.

By participating in the MERS Health Care Savings Program, you can save money now while you’re working for health care costs that you’ll use after you leave your employer, either before or after you’ve reached retirement. The MERS Health Care Savings Program is an employer-sponsored program that gives you a tax-free medical savings account available for you, your spouse and any legal dependents.

Action Items

• Update beneficiary information
  • Log in to myMERS, select your plan, click Manage Beneficiaries (left)
• Update personal contact information
  • Log in to myMERS, click Edit Profile (left)
• Review investment options
  • Log in to myMERS, select your plan
• View account statements
  • Log in to myMERS, select your plan, click My Statements (left)

How It Works

MERS HCSP Handbook (pdf)

• Individual employee accounts designed by you and your employer are invested and grow tax-free.
• You and your employer make contributions to your account based on the provisions your municipality has adopted.
• You can also make contributions to your account on a voluntary, post-tax basis.
• The MERS Health Care Savings Program is an invested account, meaning you take an active role in determining your financial goals, making investment choices, and monitoring your portfolio.
• When you separate from your employer, you can use the account for tax-free medical expense reimbursements (pdf). You must be vested at termination to withdraw your employer’s contributions.
• You select from the streamlined MERS Investment Menu. For more information, please read Understanding the MERS Investment Menu (pdf).

HIPPA

HIPAA Privacy Practices

Eligible Expenses
Eligible Expenses and Reimbursement Options (pdf)

Submitting Receipts
How to submit a receipt, verifying purchases made using HCSP funds. You can submit your receipt(s) through one of the following:

• MyMERS
  Upload a copy of your receipt to the Claims Management Portal in your myMERS account. View step-by-step instructions for this option.
• App
  Download the Alerus Benefits app to your smartphone. Use your phone’s camera to take a picture of your receipt and submit it through the app. Information on downloading and logging into the app. Watch a video detailing how to use the app to submit receipts.
• Mail*
  Mail a copy of your receipt to:
  Alerus
  PO Box 64535
  St Paul MN 55164

*If you send in your documentation by mail, please include a copy of this letter. For security purposes, do not send documentation that includes your full Social Security Number.

Claims Management

 Claims Management Portal and Reimbursement Guide (pdf)

Alerus Moblie App
 – Using the App (pdf)
 – Using the App (video)

Forms

Completed these actions online in your myMERS account.

• Reimbursement Claims
• Update Beneficiaries
• Investment Changes

View All MERS Forms

MERS Investment Menu

Streamlined MERS HCSP Investment Menu.