“Life is “C” between B and D”

Who said that?

Existentialist, French philosopher, and apparently all-around prankster, Jean-Paul Sartre did.

Where are we going with this?

Stay with me and well go wherever this goes, …., together!

Regarding the quote, according to Sartre the letter C referred to the choices an individual makes in between the two pivotal points of their existence, specifically, their birth and their death.

As the consummate existentialist, Sarte maintained that the universe is devoid of direction, purpose, and of course, meaning. As such, he concluded that man is free to create his own values and essence.

Now, I would like to stop and point out that the key words in the prior sentence are the words “free” and “essence.” Let me explain. You see, Satre believed that “living” lies in our freedom to make choices and take responsibility for those choices. As a matter of fact, he believed those two concepts to be inseparable and I think most of us would agree with him on that.

I also think that most of us would align to his concept of essence, which Sartre defined as the sum of an individuals’ actions and how they choose to live their life.

Are you still with me or are you reaching for the ripcord?

Ok, ok. I get it. I hear you. To that end, I’ll just “bum-rush” the remainder of this piece, which, go figure, is yet another piece on HRA debit card usage decorum.  Meh.

So here it is, short and to the point.

  • Do not pay anything with the HRA Debit card if you do not have a 100% understanding as to its proper usage.
  • If you have chosen not to read in its entirety the HRA benefit description within the Health and Benefit Funds Summary Plan Description Book, and fully understand what is written, do not use the HRA debit card.

So, the next time you hear someone grouse about their card being permanently deactivated, I want you to do two things.

First, remember that there are only three reasons that would cause deactivation to occur. Either:

  • The participants chose not to rectify their improper use of the card at all, or,
  • The participants chose not to address the matter in a timely manner, or,
  • The participant chose not to address the matter with sufficient action or documentation in a timely manner in order to thwart the permanent deactivation of their card.

Secondly, instruct them to read the first article of this month’s newsletter.

Ok, that’s it for me. But before I go, I’ll share some HRA “fun-facts” with you all.

  1. Since the debit card feature was created six years ago, 90% of all HRA debit cardholders still have their debit card privileges. Which means that these individuals either:
    1. Understand when and how to properly use their card.
    2. Understand what kind of substantiation is needed as well as when and how to provide that. Or,
    3. Promptly act when a mistake is made. Or,
    4. Just don’t use their card.
  1. A permanent deactivation of an HRA Debit card does not mean that a participant has lost the right to whatever benefit has been accumulated. It’s still there and is accessible via claims submitted manually or electronically. The latter improvement along with the debit card was not an available option for any participant six years ago.