Patient Care, Retention, and Experience
Your front desk takes the same call three times before lunch. One patient wants to know if their FSA covers crowns, while another asks about the difference between their FSA and their spouse's Limited Purpose FSA. Your team gives good answers, but each interruption pulls them away from patient care and the dozen other tasks competing for their attention. FSA questions won't stop coming, and patients need answers. Two strategies make this easier for your team: providing authoritative reference materials like IRS Publication 502 and implementing automated systems that reduce manual inquiries.
Dec 6, 2025
FSA Basics for Your Front Desk
Your staff doesn't need to become benefits experts. They need quick access to accurate information they can confidently share with patients.
For 2025, the FSA contribution limit is $3,300, which matters when patients ask about planning their dental work across calendar years. The coverage list is straightforward: according to IRS Publication 502, FSAs cover dental treatment, x-rays, fillings, braces, extractions, dentures and crowns. Teeth whitening doesn't qualify because the IRS classifies it as cosmetic.
A printed copy of IRS Publication 502 belongs at your front desk, with a bookmark in your practice management system for digital access. When a patient asks about an unusual procedure, your team can pull up the official source instead of guessing, which protects your practice and gives patients the authoritative answer they need.
The use-or-lose provision creates the most urgency because patients must use FSA funds by their plan year end or forfeit them, according to the IRS. Some plans offer grace periods or carryover amounts, so your team should direct patients to check with their employer about these details rather than making assumptions about individual plan rules.
Creating a Quick-Reference System
A one-page reference sheet gives your front desk immediate answers to common questions. The 2025 FSA contribution limit belongs at the top, followed by the most common covered procedures: cleanings, fillings, crowns, braces, extractions and dentures. Including the one excluded item patients ask about constantly, teeth whitening, prevents repeated lookups.
The IRS Publication 502 link at the bottom handles procedures not on your list, and checking IRS.gov in late fall each year keeps your sheet current with new contribution limits.
Training your staff on one key phrase protects your practice: "According to IRS Publication 502." This language signals that you're citing the official source rather than offering benefits advice. With a reference sheet at the front desk and the IRS publication bookmarked digitally, your team can answer most FSA questions in seconds without leaving the check-in counter.
Healthcare FSA vs. Limited Purpose FSA: One Key Difference
Patients often waste your team's time asking which FSA type covers which dental procedures, but the answer is simpler than they expect: both types cover the same procedures.
Healthcare FSAs and Limited Purpose FSAs provide identical coverage for dental work, including cleanings, fillings, crowns, braces, dentures and extractions. The choice between them depends entirely on HSA compatibility, not dental coverage. A Healthcare FSA disqualifies patients from contributing to an HSA, while a Limited Purpose FSA maintains HSA eligibility because it only covers dental and vision expenses rather than general medical costs.
Your team needs just one simple explanation: "Both FSA types cover the same dental services. Choose Limited Purpose FSA if you have or want an HSA. Choose Healthcare FSA if you don't have an HSA and want medical coverage too." That single statement handles most confusion without requiring staff to explain HSA contribution limits or coordination-of-benefits rules. The only question that matters is whether the patient has or wants an HSA.
A two-column comparison sheet reinforces this message visually. Healthcare FSA and Limited Purpose FSA appear side-by-side with identical dental coverage in both columns, and the key difference, HSA compatibility, stands out clearly in a scannable layout.
Digital Tools That Cut Repetitive Questions in Half
Patients who find information themselves don't call your office, and 52% of patients use portals independently when available. This means half your FSA questions can get answered without staff involvement.
Patient portals work because they give people access to benefits information on their own schedule. Your FSA reference materials belong in your portal: the covered procedures list, the Healthcare FSA versus Limited Purpose FSA comparison, and a link to IRS Publication 502.
Automated benefits verification systems deliver even bigger results. The California Dental Association has discussed significant savings potential through automation in insurance verification processes, and these systems pull eligibility and balance information without your staff making phone calls. Patients see their current FSA balance and available funds in real time, which reduces verification calls and checkout confusion.
Sending FSA information before appointments shifts questions from day-of-service to advance planning. A brief reminder with appointment confirmations works well: "Remember, your FSA covers preventive care, fillings and major dental work. Check your balance before your visit." Patients who receive this information in advance arrive having already checked their FSA balance, confirmed what's covered, and considered whether to time expensive procedures before year-end.
Not every patient will use self-service resources, so your team should expect continued questions even with portal access and automated systems in place.
Timing FSA Conversations Around Plan Deadlines
FSA plan years create natural urgency that shapes when patients need information most, and October through December drives the highest volume of questions. Patients realize they have unused funds approaching the use-or-lose deadline, so proactive communication in early fall helps: "Your FSA benefits expire December 31. Now is the time to schedule any remaining dental work."
When patients book crowns, bridges or other costly work, verifying their FSA status during scheduling opens up timing options. A patient with $1,200 remaining in November might schedule half of a treatment plan before year-end and half after, using two years of FSA funds for a single course of treatment.
HFMA recommends conducting financial discussions before the day of service because patients need time to understand their options without feeling rushed at checkout. Including FSA information during treatment planning gives patients the opportunity to verify their benefits before their next appointment and arrive confident about their coverage.
Building a Sustainable FSA Education System
Your team handles FSA questions alongside everything else they do, so you need systems that scale without adding staff.
Tracking the FSA questions your team receives over 90 days reveals where to focus your education efforts. Writing down each question and counting how many times the same ones repeat shows you which specific issues create the most burden, and building your reference materials around those common questions delivers the biggest efficiency gains.
Cross-training prevents bottlenecks when one staff member is busy or absent. Every person who answers phones or works check-in should know where to find IRS Publication 502 and how to explain the HSA compatibility distinction between FSA types.
Quarterly reviews keep your FSA education materials current. Tracking which questions patients ask most frequently reveals when your patient portal content, reference sheets or email templates need updates. HFMA also emphasizes that staff need both accurate information and the communication skills to deliver it supportively to stressed or confused patients.
Consistent Staffing Supports Consistent Patient Education
Patients benefit from interacting with staff who know their history and can follow up on previous conversations. A patient who asked about FSA coverage for a crown in October needs someone who remembers that conversation when they call back in November.
Frequent front desk turnover or constant training of temporary staff on your systems can disrupt this continuity. New team members may not know where to find your reference materials or the preferred phrases for explaining benefits, which can lead to inconsistent answers.
Teero helps dental practices maintain the staffing consistency that makes patient education sustainable. When you need temporary coverage, Teero's W-2 hygienists arrive with malpractice insurance and workers' compensation included, which means your administrative team spends less time on staffing logistics and more time on patient-facing work. When you find a hygienist who fits your practice culture, Teero supports permanent placement at no additional cost.
FSA education doesn't need to overwhelm your staff. Simple reference materials, strategic use of digital tools, and conversations timed around plan deadlines help your team answer common questions confidently. Patients get the information they need, and your practice maintains smooth operations while helping them maximize their benefits.
Ready to reduce staffing disruptions that derail your front desk? Get started with Teero.