During Annual Benefits Enrollment or when you first enroll in Plan Option 1 or Plan Option 2, you must choose how claims will be paid from your MRA when you have a covered expense. There are two ways claims can be paid:

Your choice will also apply to your Health Care Spending Account (HCSA), if you elect to participate in that plan. If you do not make an election when you first enroll in the Medical Plan, you will be enrolled in the debit card payment method. Your election will remain in effect for future years, unless you make a change during a subsequent Annual Benefits Enrollment. If you are enrolled in the autopay option, you may make a one-time mid-year payment method change to the debit card option that will be effective the first of the following month.

Your MRA payment election determines how in-network claims are processed by your healthcare company. If an out-of-network provider agrees to submit a claim to your healthcare company on your behalf, your election would also apply to the processing of that claim.

The claims payment process takes into account whether there is money in your MRA (and/or HCSA, if applicable) available to pay for all or part of your share of the covered medical or prescription drug expense. Please see "Using Your MRA and HCSA to Pay for Services", which contains detailed instructions about payments at in-network and out-of-network providers.

Remember, your MRA can be used to pay for eligible medical and prescription drug out-of-pocket expenses, and your MRA account must be exhausted before you can use your HCSA for medical and prescription drug out-of-pocket expenses. Further, your MRA cannot be used for vision or dental expenses — only your HCSA can be used for those expenses. (For information about the HCSA, please see the Spending Accounts Summary Plan Description, at My Health.)