Lifestyle Spending Account

About the Benefit

A Lifestyle Spending Account, or LSA, is a flexible benefit in which Dartmouth provides a reimbursement of up to $250 each calendar year for a range of well-being expenses--such as gym memberships, home fitness equipment, CSAs (farm shares), hobby classes, nutrition programs, and more--so that you can invest in what matters most to you. 

If you have a spouse enrolled in your medical plan at Dartmouth, and you elect the LSA as your Wellness Benefit, your spouse imay also use the Lifestyle Spending Account, however it is a shared benefit, so you have a total of $250 to use between the two of you. Other dependents are not eligible. 

Eligible Expenses

You can use your LSA to be reimbursed for a wide variety of expenses that support your well-being including: 

• Emotional Well-being Apps (i.e., Calm)
• Meditation/Mindfulness Classes
• Energy & Alternative Therapy (i.e., Reiki, hypnosis; excludes acupunture as this is a medical benefit)
• Massage Therapy (without a prescription; excludes facials and other spa services)
• Fitness Center, Club, Gym, or Studio membership (includes swim, tennis, yoga facilities)
• Exercise classes
• Personal Training
• Apps (i.e., Peloton, Beachbody on Demand)
• Home exercise equipment (i.e., dumbbells, treadmill)
• Fitness Trackers (i.e., Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Watch; excludes extra bands/straps & chargers)
• Sports Leagues/Clubs (i.e., rowing, soccer, hockey, climbing, hiking, pickleball)
• Sports Lessons (i.e., swim, golf, tennis, dance, horseback riding)
• Race Registration Fees (i.e., 5K, marathon)
• Ski Passes
• Golf Greens fees (excludes cart or club rentals)
• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA/Farm share)
• Nutritional programs and apps – (i.e., Noom, WW; without prescription; excludes food purchases and nutritional/vitamin products)
• CPR, AED, First Aid Certifications
• Tobacco Cessation workshops
• Health/Life Coaching
• Outdoor Sporting-related Equipment (i.e., bike, skis, golf clubs, kayak, fishing pole, fitness sneakers, hiking boots)
• Hobby Classes (i.e., cooking, photography, pottery, gardening, music)
• National Park/State Park Entrance Fees

If an expense is not listed above, it is not an eligible expense. 

• Only expenses for employees, or a covered spouse, who elect the Lifestyle Spending Account as their Wellness Benefit are eligible.
• Medical expenses that are eligible for medical insurance and/or FSA/HSA are not eligible for this benefit.
• Weapons are not eligible expenses. 

Reimbursement Process

You will submit your eligible expenses to Sentinel, our Flexible Spending Account administrator. Submissions are made either online or via the Sentinel App.  

You may submit claims through January 15 for the previous calendar year (1/1 - 12/31) expenses. 

Access instructions on how to submit eligible expenses. 

Once approved, Sentinel will issue you a direct deposit or check reimbursement, up to a total of $250 annually. Reimbursements are issued the Friday following the request's approval. 

• If you are setting up direct deposit and add your bank account to your online account/mobile app, Real-Time Verification will check if the account and routing number match and if the participant is associated with the bank account. This will trigger a micro-deposit within 3 business days, once deposit is received, you will need to enter the deposit amount through your online account or mobile app to activate (the decimal point must be included). Participants will have two chances to accurately enter the test transaction amount. Micro-deposits will expire in 10 days if the account has not been successfully activated.

Eligibility

Benefits-eligible active employees are eligible to elect the LSA as their Wellness Benefit as a new hire, or during Open Enrollment. This benefit can also be shared with the employee's spouse, if the spouse is enrolled in the employee's Dartmouth medical plan (for a total of $250 between the employee and spouse).

If you are no longer eligible for the benefit (e.g. you leave Dartmouth, you elect a different wellness benefit), you have 14 days from your termination date, or the date you lose eligibility, to submit any claims; all purchases must be made no later than your last day of employment, or the day you lose eligibility. 

Tax Information

As a reminder, any reimbursements received by you, or your eligible spouse, are considered imputed taxable income and applicable taxes will be withheld from your paycheck.

Contact

If you have questions about your submission or reimbursement status, please reach out directly to Sentinel. You may speak with a member of the Sentinel Service Center Team, at 888-762-6088, Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM (EST).  You can also chat with a representative during those same hours by clicking on the “Chat now” option at the bottom right-hand corner of your online Sentinel account.