Thread regarding Intel Corp. layoffs

Thank you @JLESbeq-rps - good and informative post

Contributions made into DCAP whether at Intel or after you left that plan year are yours to claim against so long as the DCAP is still active (i.e being contributed to). You can continue contributions after you leave Intel if you wish, but they would be after-tax contributions so there is no tax advantage to you to do so. However, you may only make claims for services provided while the DCAP is being contributed to so it is worthwhile dialing-back contributions to say $1 per period just to keep it alive so that you can claim for services after you leave Intel. I had to do just that as I planned to claim my child's non-residential summer camps (as every year) and found out just in time (before 60 day COBRA sign up window closed) that I would only be able to claim for a July expense if I continued contributing through at least July, otherwise all my Jan-May contributions would be inaccessible and ultimately wasted at the end of the year's use-it-or-lose-it rule.

FSA and limited use FSA contributions are a little more complicated still. You may claim against the whole projected annual contribution at any time during the year provided that you elect to keep it active during COBRA sign-up. I dialed back my FSA annual election to the max for my last 6 weeks of employment and then down to what I had already contributed when I left Intel's payroll. That meant the money I had already contributed was still accessible for any services rendered that tax year because the per-period DCAP contribution was $0, which even though zero-value has tangible meaning. Had I decided to just stop FSA then I would only have been able to claim against services up until my nominal last day at Intel. A zero-cost nuance not explained to leavers but potentially expensive if you were contributing the max against a service scheduled for after your last day.

FSA Example: say I contributed $1 per period to the FSA while an employee and as soon as I left Intel cranked up the contributions to the max $2500. Immediately I would have been able to claim $2500 against services even though I would have only paid in say $10 in regular contributions and perhaps $155.62 as one period of accelerated contributions to hit $2500 by Dec 31st. I would then have been able to dial-back the contributions to zero or $1 and not have had to repay Intel. Another flaw in the logic which this time can work against the employer. Likely a reason they are so reluctant to share how the FSA works and the obligations around it.

(Changing DCAP and FSA contributions is easy if you have a wife employed ad-hoc part-time with variable hours. At any given moment she and therefore you qualify for a change in circumstances).

I have had excellent results with getting my FSA reimbursements post-ACT. Call (877) GoMyBen / (877) 466-9236 for assistance via phone, or create an ID/password to self-serve at http://resources.hewitt.com/intel/

Good luck.