Health Spending Accounts have been used by Canadian businesses for decades. They offer a well-established way to reimburse eligible medical expenses with more control and flexibility than fixed-premium plans, with potential tax advantages.
Depending on eligibility and individual circumstances*
Designed to support CRA-aligned plan administration.
Subject to applicable rules*
Step 1: Set your plan
Set a health benefits budget for your employees and choose how your plan should be structured.
Step 2: Employees use the plan
Employees pay upfront for eligible health expenses covered under the plan.
Step 3: Claims are submitted and reviewed
Claims are submitted digitally with receipts and reviewed against plan rules and eligibility requirements.
Step 4: Approved claims are reimbursed
Approved claims are reimbursed directly through the plan and are generally non-taxable to employees when structured properly.
Step 1: Access your employer portal
Set up your login, access your employer account, and enter the portal where plan administration takes place.
Step 2: Set up your plan structure
Define how benefits should be organized for your business and team.
Step 3: Add employees and assign classes
Add employees, assign funding classes, and track onboarding status.
Step 4: Review funding and payments
Monitor funding, reimbursement activity, and payment status in one place.
Step 1: Set funding by class
Define benefit amounts based on the funding class assigned to each employee group.
Step 2: Apply employee and family rules
Funding can be applied based on family status, waiting periods, and proration rules.
Step 3: Adjust automatically when things change
When employees are added, removed, or change tiers, funding is recalculated based on your plan rules.
Step 4: Track balances and funding impacts
Updated balances and any required funding changes are reflected through the platform.
Step 1: Enter your business details
Create your account and verify your business
Provide your business and contact information to set up your account and begin the onboarding process.
Step 2: Choose your plan
Define your plan structure
Select whether you’re setting up a plan for yourself or your team, and confirm your business structure.
Step 3: Review and confirm your details
Validate your information before setup
Review your business and contact details to ensure everything is accurate before configuring your benefits plan.
Step 4: Configure your benefits plan
Set up your coverage, funding, and rules
Choose your plan type, funding structure, eligibility settings, and benefit allocations based on your business needs.
Step 5: Complete and activate your plan
Sign your agreement and go live
Review your agreement, complete e-signature, and activate your plan so you can begin using it.
Step 1: Choose what the plan includes
Decide whether to offer HSA, WSA, or both.
Step 2: Set funding and usage rules
Define funding amounts, waiting periods, and claim timing rules.
Step 3: Decide how unused funds are handled
Set carryover, forfeiture, proration, and termination rules.
Step 4: Apply the plan across employee groups
Use classes to structure different plan designs across your workforce.
Step 1: Create your employee class
Start by creating a class code and class name that clearly identify the employee group you are setting up.
Examples: Full-Time Employees, Part-Time Team, Management
Step 2: Define who the class applies to
Select the employee type and link the class to the correct employer profile.
This determines which employees the class can be assigned to during onboarding and ongoing workforce management.
Step 3: Set benefit structure and funding
Choose whether the class includes HSA, WSA, or both, then define the annual funding amounts and core plan rules.
This includes:
Step 4: Assign the class to employees
Once the class is created, assign it to employees during onboarding or when adding new team members.
The selected class determines the employee’s benefit structure and available funding.
Step 5: Update classes as your team evolves
Employee classes can be edited later, but changes apply to the employees assigned to that class.
Depending on the update, changes may:
Claims-based model
Digital submission
Direct deposit
CRA-aligned
Content
What Is a Catastrophic Loss in Health Coverage? What is catastrophic loss—and should your health plan cover it? It refers to costly medical events that can cause serious financial strain, especially for professionals and SMEs. Understanding it helps you make smarter coverage decisions.
Wellbytes HSA adapts to your needs while remaining fully aligned with CRA guidelines.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact our team and we’ll be happy to assist.
A Health Spending Account (HSA) is a claims-based benefits program that allows employers and incorporated business owners to reimburse eligible health expenses for themselves, their employees, and eligible dependents.
The plan is fully funded by the employer, and reimbursements are made only for approved expenses as claims are submitted, which may offer greater cost efficiency compared to fixed-premium models (depending on plan design and utilization).
When established in accordance with CRA guidelines and eligibility requirements, HSA reimbursements are generally treated as tax-deductible business expenses for employers and non-taxable benefits for employees (individual tax treatment may vary).
HSAs in Canada are governed by the Income Tax Act, with eligible expenses outlined in Income Tax Folio S2-F1-C1 and on the CRA website.
All employees in Canada are eligible for an HSA (depending on their employer’s plan design and benefit structure).
An HSA is established and funded by the employer to reimburse eligible health, dental, and vision expenses. The employer allocates a predetermined amount to the account, and eligible employees may submit claims in accordance with the plan terms and applicable CRA guidelines.
Getting started with Wellbytes is simple. You can begin by:
HSAs may be beneficial for businesses of various sizes, from incorporated individuals and small businesses to medium and large organizations (depending on plan design and employer needs).
For smaller companies, HSAs offer a flexible way to provide health benefits without the complexity of some traditional plans. For larger organizations, HSAs can help employers manage healthcare spending by reimbursing eligible expenses as they occur, rather than paying fixed premiums regardless of usage.
Because HSAs allow plan sponsors to define benefit budgets and reimbursement structures, they can provide a more predictable and flexible approach to managing employee health benefit costs (depending on utilization and plan design).
Wellbytes is a Canadian-owned and operated company, built with a technology-first approach to modern health and wellness benefits. Our proprietary CRM platform and mobile applications are designed to provide a simple, seamless experience for both plan sponsors and members.
We operate independently and are not owned by large insurance or trust companies, allowing us to focus on building flexible health and wellness plans that prioritize the needs of employers and their employees.
Our systems are designed and developed internally, which allows us to continuously improve the platform and deliver a smooth, paperless experience, from plan management to claims submission and reimbursement.
Because our platform is built specifically for Canadian businesses and their teams, we focus on making benefits simpler, more transparent, and easier to use, without the complexity often associated with traditional insurance models.
Enrollment is completed by your employer.
Once your employer completes setup, you will typically receive an email with your login details and simple steps to access your account and start using your benefits.
Eligible medical expenses are defined under the Income Tax Act and administered in accordance with applicable Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) guidelines.
To explore a categorized overview of common eligible expenses, visit:
For the complete list of eligible medical expenses defined under the Income Tax Act, visit:
You can submit a claim quickly through the Wellbytes application:
Claims can be submitted for eligible expenses incurred during the effective period of your benefit plan.
Expenses incurred before the plan start date are not eligible for reimbursement.
Submission deadlines may apply depending on your employer’s plan design, including any claim time limits or termination provisions.
For specific timelines and details, refer to your Employer Group Benefit Plan Summary.
You can track all your claims directly through the Wellbytes application.
The app provides a clear, real-time view of your claim activity, including:
When you first set up your Wellbytes account, you’ll be prompted to connect a bank account for direct deposit. You can update your banking details at any time.
After you submit an eligible claim, the Wellbytes team reviews it for approval. Once approved, you’ll receive a notification in the app, and your reimbursement will be deposited directly into your linked bank account — typically within 24–48 hours.
Unused funds are handled according to the specific plan design selected by the employer and outlined in the plan terms.
Depending on the setup, unused funds may:
For specific details, refer to your Employer Group Benefit Plan Summary.
Yes. Wellbytes primarily works directly with employers, but we also collaborate with brokers, advisors, and strategic partners who help businesses design and implement employee benefits programs.
Our platform is designed to support flexible health and wellness benefits, and we work with partners who want to provide their clients with additional or complementary options alongside traditional benefit plans.
By combining a technology-driven platform with a flexible benefits structure, Wellbytes helps employers deliver a more predictable approach to managing health and wellness benefit costs, depending on plan design and utilization, while giving employees a paperless experience.
Many employers choose to work directly with Wellbytes, while others are introduced through brokers or benefit advisors.
Yes. Wellbytes is registered in Quebec as Solutions Wellbytes under the Quebec Enterprise Number (NEQ): 1181343527.
You can also visit our French-language website for information and support in French.
Wellbytes offers flexible pricing based on your funding model and employer size.
With Pay-As-You-Go plans, administrative fees are charged only when reimbursement spend occurs, meaning employers only pay fees when claims are processed.
With Budgeted Funding plans, employers establish an annual benefits budget for employees. Funding may be collected monthly or upfront depending on the plan agreement.
With Prepaid Administrative Fee plans, employers may choose to pay administrative fees upfront based on the annual funding amount. Discounted rates may apply depending on employer size and plan structure and are locked for the contract term.
Wellbytes does not charge:
Final pricing is confirmed during plan setup based on the selected funding model, employer size, and plan structure.
