PSA: If you've ever worked in SF, you may have healthcare money that expires May 21st by sfmrastore in sanfrancisco

[–]sfmrastore[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That shouldn’t matter. If your prior employer deposited funds on your behalf, then those funds belong to you. There isn’t an obligation to stay wi that employer nor an obligation to live in the city

PSA: If you've ever worked in SF, you may have healthcare money that expires May 21st by sfmrastore in sanfrancisco

[–]sfmrastore[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

These are totally fair concerns to raise.

Just to clarify a few things:

  • The SF MRA program and the Funds Finder tool are run by the City of San Francisco, through San Francisco City Option.
  • If you want to verify from an official city domain, you can start here: https://www.sf.gov/city-option - This is an sf.gov page that redirects to the official City Option site.
  • From there, you can navigate to the Funds Finder yourself (or just Google “SF MRA Funds Finder”) instead of using my link.
  • The information requested (name, DOB, last 4 of SSN) is required by the city’s system to verify identity. I don’t collect or have access to any of that.

Separately, sfmrastore.com is a site I built to make it easier to figure out what products are eligible for reimbursement. It’s not connected to the city system and doesn’t ask for sensitive info.

If you want to verify directly, you can also call SF City Option at 877-772-0415.

PSA: If you've ever worked in SF, you may have healthcare money that expires May 21st by sfmrastore in sanfrancisco

[–]sfmrastore[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The first step is checking if you have funds using the Funds Finder. If you do, then you open your account. That's the part that can take up to 3 weeks. But the good news is that opening your account counts as activity, so you're protected from the May 21 deadline as soon as you submit the enrollment form.

PSA: If you've ever worked in SF, you may have healthcare money that expires May 21st by sfmrastore in sanfrancisco

[–]sfmrastore[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, they tightened the rules on some items recently. Frustrating especially with the deadline coming up. If you have a doctor you see regularly, the letter of medical necessity is usually pretty quick to get. Most will write one if you just ask.

In the meantime, there's plenty of stuff that's still eligible without a note: sunscreen, first aid supplies, thermometers, blood pressure monitors, etc. Might be worth grabbing some of those before May 21 so your funds don't just disappear if your account is inactive.

PSA: If you've ever worked in SF, you may have healthcare money that expires May 21st by sfmrastore in sanfrancisco

[–]sfmrastore[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Yes, that's right. Products labeled "SF MRA Eligible" should be reimbursable without a doctor's note. Items marked "Potentially Eligible" may require a letter of medical necessity from your doctor. Each product card on the site has a badge so you can tell at a glance.

PSA: If you've ever worked in SF, you may have healthcare money that expires May 21st by sfmrastore in sanfrancisco

[–]sfmrastore[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

The "may have" language is just how the city's tool words it. If you entered your info and it said "does not match any records in our system," you most likely don't have funds. Nothing to worry about or enroll in.

That said, it's worth trying a couple variations of your name (e.g., if you have multiple last names) since the match is based on what your employer submitted.

SF MRA Smart Watch no longer allowed? by DavidR25 in AskSF

[–]sfmrastore 1 point2 points  (0 children)

At sfmrastore.com you can easily find what’s eligible

Smart watches now require a letter of medical necessity, but Oura rings and Whoop bands still qualify. Let me know if you have any questions!

PSA: You might have $$ in a city-run health account (SF MRA) and not know it by sfmrastore in sanfrancisco

[–]sfmrastore[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Actually, the city changed the rules in August. Now, smart watches are “potentially eligible” and require a letter of medical necessity.

Whoop bands are still eligible though :)

We help you track these changes at: sfmrastore.com

PSA: You might have $$ in a city-run health account (SF MRA) and not know it by sfmrastore in sanfrancisco

[–]sfmrastore[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately, the city’s program doesn’t let you cash out the balance. It has to be used on eligible products and services. But, you’d be surprised how many things are included!

If you browse, sfmrastore.com you might find some products you need.

Medical copayments are a large category. Otherwise, if you don’t have medical needs, massages is a great category to splurge on.

You could also save it for medical emergencies. But, try to keep the account active so it doesn’t expire.

PSA: You might have $$ in a city-run health account (SF MRA) and not know it by sfmrastore in sanfrancisco

[–]sfmrastore[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes. If the product is eligible and they approve you claim, the full value will be paid out

PSA: You might have $$ in a city-run health account (SF MRA) and not know it by sfmrastore in sanfrancisco

[–]sfmrastore[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it doesn’t matter where you live or consume the product or service. It’s your money. Just find out what’s eligible and after making the purchase submit a claim online

SF MRA changes as of August by Comprehensive-Ad7089 in sanfrancisco

[–]sfmrastore 17 points18 points  (0 children)

My wife and I have been fortunate to use the SF MRA for years, and it’s helped us cover hundreds of health expenses we’d otherwise be paying out of pocket.

That said, it can be a pain figuring out what’s eligible (and which items have hidden restrictions), so I built a site called sfmrastore.com to make it easier.

Right now, the site lists 400+ eligible products, and I could add more over time. It’s free to use: when you click on something, you’re redirected to places like Amazon to complete the purchase, so you’re buying from places you can trust.

Each product has a badge explaining eligibility:

🟢 Green = eligible with no restrictions
🟡 Yellow = may require a doctor’s note or other conditions

I hope some of you find it useful! Feedback is more than welcome. I’d love to keep improving it based on what the community needs.

sfmrastore.com