dependent day care spending account (DCSA)

save for day care
This flexible spending account plan allows you to save and pay for certain eligible dependent day care expenses with before-tax dollars.
COVID plan changes
manage your account
The Dependent Day Care Spending Account (DCSA) is a flexible spending account that allows you to save and pay for eligible dependent care expenses – like after-school child care, a licensed child care provider, or school tuition up to kindergarten – so you and your spouse can go to work. Chevron also offers another type of flexible spending account - the Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) - for you and your eligible dependents' health care expenses.
new opportunities due to COVID legislation
the basics
Note: Be sure to review the temporary plan changes due to COVID-19 as they may affect the normal plan rules described below. See the COVID Plan Changes section above.
The Chevron Dependent Day Care Spending Account (DCSA) is a flexible spending account plan. A flexible spending account plan is a voluntary option that allows you to pay for certain eligible expenses with before-tax dollars. Each month, you contribute a set amount to your account through before-tax payroll deductions. Then you use the funds in your account to pay for eligible expenses.
Your contributions to flexible spending accounts reduce your taxable income. For this reason, federal tax laws require you to follow certain rules when using the funds in your account. Keep these rules in mind as you plan how much to contribute each year:
- Plan your contribution goal carefully. Once you've elected an annual contribution amount, you cannot change it unless you experience certain qualifying life event (for example, you have or adopt a child).
- Use it or lose it. Meet the plan deadlines. This plan does not have a carry-over feature. The money in your flexible spending account can be used only for eligible expenses incurred between January 1 and December 31 of each year. You have until June 30 of the following year to submit your claims for expenses, but any remaining balance left in your account after the final claim filing deadline will be forfeited. Note: If you enroll mid-year, you can only claim eligible expenses you incurred after the date your coverage began.
- Only certain expenses are eligible. The money in your account(s) can be used only for eligible expenses. It's important to make sure that any expenses you've planned are reimbursable.
- Your account has a specific purpose. You cannot use money in a dependent day care flexible spending account to pay for health care expenses. Likewise, you cannot use money in a health care flexible spending account to pay for dependent day care expenses.
- There are rules regarding your contributions. The IRS limits the amount you can contribute to a flexible spending account, and the limit may change from year-to-year.
- Be aware of mid-year enrollment. If you enroll, the amount of before-tax contributions you authorize is deducted from your pay in equal amounts throughout the year and credited to your flexible spending account. Keep this in mind if you are enrolling for the first time late in the year because your election will be spread out over fewer pay periods and could be a larger payroll deduction than you planned for.

plan facts at-a-glance
recent plan changes
Things change; be sure you're informed. The documents provided below are called a summary of material modification (SMM). An SMM explains recent updates to your plan that are not yet captured or updated in your summary plan description (SPD). Be sure to review the SMM for an understanding of important plan updates.
- Active Employees: Carryover of 2021 amounts into 2022 (January 1, 2022)
- Terminated Employees: Carryover of 2021 amounts into 2022 (January 1, 2022)
- Annual contribution limit reduced (January 1, 2022)
- Active Employees: Carryover of 2020 amounts into 2021 (January 1, 2021)
- Terminated Employees: Carryover of 2020 amounts into 2021 (January 1, 2021)
- Active Employees: New increased age limit due to COVID-19 (January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2021)
- Terminated Employees: New increased age limit due to COVID-19 (January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2021)
- New increased maximum contribution limit due to COVID-19 (January 1, 2021)
- New mid-year enrollment rules due to COVID-19 (January 1, 2021)
- New extended claims deadline due to COVID-19 (January 1, 2021)
- Extended 2019 claims deadline due to COVID-19 (July 1, 2020)
- New address for benefits correspondence (June 1, 2020)
- New claims administrator (January 1, 2020)
- Prefunding feature no longer available; New minimum contribution (January 1, 2019)
summary plan description (SPD)
2022 contribution limits
- $120 is the minimum contribution.
- $5,000 in 2022 if you are single.
- $5,000 in 2022 if you are married and filing a joint return.
- $2,500 in 2022 if you are married and filing a separate return.
- There are additional IRS limitations not listed here. Please reference the summary plan description for additional details.
- Keep in mind this contribution limit applies to all of the contributions you have made to a flexible spending account plan like this during the year – including a similar plan through another employer.
Only eligible expenses can be reimbursed under the DCSA. These expenses are defined by IRS rules (See IRS Publication 503) and DCSA plan rules.
The DCSA can reimburse you if you have to pay someone to take care of a qualified dependent so you (or you and your spouse, if you’re married) can work, look for work, or go to school full-time. If your spouse is a stay-at-home parent, you shouldn’t enroll in the DCSA. Qualified dependents include children under age 13, for a disabled child, or for an adult who lives with you and depends on you financially. See the Who's Eligible to Participate section on this page for more details.
eligible expenses
You can preview a list of expenses that are generally considered an eligible expense in the DCSA summary plan description. For a complete list of items that may be considered qualified expenses or exclusions under the plan, access your DCSA account online. (Navigate to your Spending Account Dashboard, then choose How It All Works from the navigation.)
Here are some examples of covered expenses approved by the IRS:
- Care provided in your home by a baby-sitter or nurse (if a nurse is providing medical services, those expenses would not qualify under the DCSA, but might qualify under the HCSA).
- Care (such as bathing and preparing meals) provided in your home for a disabled person or an elderly dependent living with you.
- Day care given outside your home by a licensed day care provider or a provider that’s exempt from licensing requirements.
- Before-school and after-school care.
- School tuition, up to kindergarten.
- Dependent day care expenses incurred while your spouse either is disabled or is a full-time student, even though your spouse does not work.
ineligible expenses
You can preview a list of expenses that are generally not an eligible expense in the DCSA summary plan description or by accessing your DCSA account online. (Navigate to your Spending Account Dashboard, then choose How It All Works from the navigation.)
Some examples of ineligible DCSA expenses include:
- Charges for nursing-home care.
- Charges for care provided by your child under age 19 or by someone you claim as a dependent for federal income tax purposes.
- Expenses you claim for reimbursement under another similar flexible spending account.
- Medical charges, whether or not the care is covered by a Chevron-sponsored medical plan or another plan to which Chevron contributes, such as a health maintenance organization (HMO).
- Tuition for school from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
- Fees charged by an overnight camp.
- Online Website Account. Access your DCSA account online at the claims administrator's website.
- Mobile App. Use your claims administrator's mobile app to submit a claim with supporting documentation.
- Paper Form. Fill out a DCSA claim form and provide supporting documentation as requested on the form.
set up direct deposit
- Online Website Account. Access your DCSA account online at the claims administrator's website. Navigate to your Spending Account Dashboard. From there, go to the Claims tab, then choose Reimbursement Preference.
- Call Claim Administrator. If you do not have access to the web, you can also call your claim administrator for assistance with this request.
enrollment & participation
- On the BenefitConnect website.
- By calling the HR Service Center. Choose the Benefits option on the phone menu to get started.
- During open enrollment.
- During the first 31 days after you become an eligible employee.
- During the first 31 days after a qualifying life event.
- You must re-enroll in this plan every year to continue your participation, even if you're already currently participating.
Once you've elected an annual contribution amount, you cannot change it unless you experience certain qualifying life event(s). You can make changes to this coverage only under the following circumstances:
- During open enrollment. You can re-enroll and change the amount of your annual contribution election during open enrollment. Changes you elect during open enrollment take effect January 1 of the following year.
- During the first 31 days after a qualifying life event that allows for enrollment or a change in your participation in this plan. The ability to make a change and the kinds of changes you can make vary depending on the type of life event.
- Due to the timing of the contribution change process, you must make contribution change requests on or before December 1. Contribution changes after December 1 cannot be applied to your DCSA plan in the current year.
- Your change must be consistent with the qualifying life event. For example, if you change day care providers and your cost decreases, then you may decrease your contributions. If your spouse stops working, you must stop your contributions.
- The IRS limit for the maximum allowed annual contribution still applies. If you’re already contributing the maximum, you won’t be able to increase your contributions.
- You cannot decrease your contributions below the amount you’ve already contributed year-to date.
- If you stop contributions because your spouse is no longer working, you can restart participation only when your spouse starts working again.
- Log on to the BenefitConnect website (or call the HR Service Center).
- Click the gray Initiate a Qualifying Life Event box under the main banner on the home page.
- Follow the instructions on the screen and select Change(s) related to my children, then Change in Dependent Care Cost or Coverage.
Note: Be sure to review the temporary plan changes due to COVID-19 as they may affect the normal plan rules described below. See the COVID Plan Changes section above.
If enrolled, your participation will end the date your employment ends. This plan is not available through COBRA and it is not available to retirees.
- You can continue to use your remaining balance by submitting requests for reimbursement of eligible expenses incurred at any time during the calendar year in which your employment ends.
- You may request reimbursement for eligible expenses by no later than June 30 of the following year.
- You must pay for the expense and submit a claim for reimbursement either by using the form, the online tool, or the mobile app.
who's eligible to participate
In addition to the general eligibility requirements included below, you’re eligible to participate in the Dependent Day Care Spending Account if you provide day care for a qualified dependent so you can work, and one of the following applies to you:
- You’re single or legally separated.
- You’re married and your spouse also works.
- You’re married and your spouse attends school full-time outside the home at least five months during the year.
- You’re married and your spouse is mentally or physically incapable of caring for himself or herself because of a disability.
Domestic partners cannot be covered under this benefit.
- You’re paid on the U.S. payroll of Chevron Corporation or a participating company.
- You’re assigned to a regular work schedule (unless you’re on a family leave, disability leave, short union business leave, furlough leave, military service leave or leave with pay) of at least 40 hours a week, or at least 20 hours a week if such schedule is an approved part-time work schedule under the corporation’s part-time employment guidelines.
- If you’re a casual employee, you’ve worked (or are expected to work) a regular work schedule for more than four consecutive months.
- If you’re designated by Chevron as a seasonal employee, you’re not on a leave of absence.
- You’re in a class of employees designated by Chevron as eligible for participation in the plan.
- You’re not on the Chevron U.S. payroll, or you’re compensated for services to Chevron by an entity other than Chevron — even if, at any time and for any reason, you’re deemed to be a Chevron employee.
- You’re a leased employee or would be a leased employee if you had provided services to Chevron for a longer period of time.
- You enter into a written agreement with Chevron that provides that you won’t be eligible.
- You’re not regarded by Chevron as its common-law employee and for that reason it doesn’t withhold employment taxes with respect to you — even if you are later determined to have been Chevron’s common-law employee.
- You’re a member of a collective bargaining unit (unless eligibility to participate has been negotiated with Chevron).
- You’re a professional intern.
- Your child (or his or her descendant) or sibling (or his or her descendant) under age 13, if the child does not provide over half of his or her own support during the calendar year.
- Your mentally or physically disabled spouse, if he or she is incapable of caring for himself or herself.
- Your mentally or physically disabled child, grandchild, sibling, parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew, if he or she depends on you for at least half of his or her financial support, and is incapable of caring for himself or herself.
- A mentally or physically disabled individual, if he or she depends on you for at least half of his or her financial support, shares your principal place of abode and is a member of your household for the entire taxable year, and is incapable of caring for himself or herself.
- A qualified dependent does not have to be enrolled as a dependent under any company-sponsored benefit plan.
- When you enroll in this plan, you do not make an election to enroll your dependent(s) for coverage.
- The dependent verification process does not apply to this plan.
contact information
The HR Service Center manages your enrollment in and eligibility for this benefit plan. For all other questions regarding your coverage, contact the claims administrator. A claims administrator manages the administration of your plan — for example, claims, account balances, ID cards, what's covered and what's not, provider networks, phone numbers, the administrator's website or mobile app, and more.
dependent day care spending account (DCSA)
- Plan Type Flexible Spending Account Plan
- Eligibility U.S. Payroll Employees
- Enrollment Enroll on BenefitConnect or call the HR Service Center
- Claims Administrator Anthem Blue Cross
- Phone Talk to Anthem directly for account balance, claims and reimbursements at 1-844-627-1632
- Phone To enroll or to change contribution election due to a life event, talk to the HR Service Center (Choose the Manage Benefits option, then Health benefits)
- Website For account balance, claims and reimbursements, go to anthem.com/ca
- Website To enroll or to change contribution election due to a life event, go to the BenefitConnect website.
- Mobile App Sydney Health app from Apple App Store or Google Play
- Claim Form Forms Library
- Address Anthem Blue Cross FSA Claims | PO Box 161606 | Altamonte Springs, FL 32716
This web page provides only certain highlights about changes of benefit provisions. It is not intended to be a complete explanation. If there are any discrepancies between this communication and the legal plan documents, the legal plan documents will prevail to the extent permitted by law. There are no vested rights with respect to Chevron health care plans or any company contributions towards the cost of such health care plans. Rather, Chevron Corporation reserves all rights, for any reason and at any time, to amend, change or terminate these plans or to change or eliminate the company contribution toward the cost of such plans. Such amendments, changes, terminations or eliminations may be applicable without regard to whether someone previously terminated employment with Chevron or previously was subject to a grandfathering provision. Some benefit plans and policies described in this document may be subject to collective bargaining and, therefore, may not apply to union-represented employees.