Flexible benefit plan

Managed care plan offered by an employer to his or her employees that allows them to select the type and amount of benefits from among options the employer offers. It also allows employees to make contributions required for their choice of benefits with before-tax dollars. Also called cafeteria plan, flexible benefit option, flex plan , or flexible compensation .

Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA)

-An account that is often funded through a voluntary salary reduction agreement and allows the account holder and dependents to pay or be reimbursed for qualified out-of-pocket medical expenses with pre-tax dollars. FSAs allow $500 each year to be rolled over into an FSA for use in the following year. Beyond that limit FSA dollars are “use-it-or-lose-it” benefits, meaning that they are forfeited if not used for qualified expenses during the year.