HRA claims incurred by participant prior to death

[Guest modoca]

Can an HRA pay out a deceased participant's claims for qualified medical expenes that were incurred prior to death? Based on the IRS guidance and other secondary sources I have seen, it looks like you can, and that it is a matter of plan design. I found these comments from the ABA regarding this:

http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba...uthcheckdam.pdf

I've also found HRA SPDs allowing an authorized rep or the estate to submit claims on behalf of the deceased participant.

Any thoughts or insights would be helpful. Thanks!

[leevena]

Yes, the HRA can pay claims for this situation. I was a little confused as to what made you hesitant. Was it the information in the "discussion" part under #3. Handling of an HRA upon the paticipants death? That discussion was about providing a death benefit.