Choosing a Spending Account Provider? 4 Questions HR Should Ask

Employers are preparing for another benefits enrollment cycle, but new research from InComm Benefits points to a question HR should ask when choosing a spending account provider: Who will handle employees’ questions? 

In the study, InComm surveyed more than 300 HR professionals about Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and the challenges of spending-account administration. 

More than half (58%) said employees come to them for help with their spending accounts, most often asking basic questions, including:

• What purchases are eligible to use in my spending account?
• How do I submit claims?
• How do I use my account?
• What are the claim deadlines and rollover rules?

For HR, vendor selection provides an opportunity to reduce the administrative burden of answering employee questions. In fact, 73% of HR pros said employee feedback is the No. 1 factor they consider when reevaluating spending account providers, according to InComm. That finding is particularly relevant for employers evaluating HSA providers, since employees rely on the provider through the life of the account. 

Before signing or renewing a contract, ask pointed questions to assess whether a provider can realistically take routine spending account questions off HR’s plate. 

4 Questions to Ask Spending Account Providers 

The goal is to find out how much direct support a provider will give employees and how much of that support will fall to HR. That’s especially important for HSAs, since employees use the account throughout the year rather than only during open enrollment. Focus on four areas when evaluating a new provider or renewing an existing contract.

1. Can an employee get answers without coming to HR? 

Why ask it: Routine questions about eligibility, claims, account use, deadlines and rollover rules shouldn’t require HR intervention. A provider’s tools and educational resources should give employees a reliable way to find those answers.

What you’re looking for: Clear employee-facing education and intuitive tools that make eligibility, claims, deadlines and account rules easy to find and understand.

2. What happens when an employee needs additional help? 

Why ask it: Self-service won’t answer every question. The quality and speed of provider support can determine whether an employee gets a direct answer from the provider or ends up back with HR to solve the issue.

What you’re looking for: Responsive employee support with defined response times and a straightforward process for escalating unresolved issues.

3. Who will be our dedicated contact? 

Why ask it: HR shouldn’t have to explain the company’s workforce, goals or recurring issues to a different support representative every time an issue comes up. 

What you’re looking for: A dedicated account manager who understands the organization, knows its workforce and provides proactive guidance rather than only addressing individual problems as they arise.

4. How will you know whether the employee experience is working? 

Why ask it: A provider may point to a strong employee experience when pitching for new business or asking for a renewal. Dig into how the provider measures that experience once the contract is in place and how the provider responds when employee feedback points to a problem.

What you’re looking for: A provider that actively gathers employee feedback, shares meaningful service data with HR and uses that info to improve the employee experience.

The right provider should make employees more self-sufficient without leaving HR to pick up the slack. That makes a provider’s approach to employee support an important consideration when HR is choosing or renewing a spending account provider. 

Want to dig deeper into the employee HSA experience? Join us on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, for a free webinar, Why Your HSA Isn’t Working the Way You Think: New Research on Employee Behavior, to learn why employees underuse their HSAs and what causes the confusion. Register now.