Debit Cards & Disbursements

Debit Cards

Sterling HSA accountholders can check their debit card activity by logging into their personal HSA account from our homepage. All you need is your username and password. If you haven't registered your account for online access, it's easy and secure. Just go to Register Your Account for Online Access today. You can also contact us for more information on accessing account information.

Our accountholders receive a signature based MasterCard debit card that will allow you to make purchases at pharmacies, doctors and dentist offices, and other clinical practices as well. It takes about 2 weeks to get a new Sterling HSA debit card. It is activated at the first use for a qualified medical expense.

Because we want you to get the most from your health savings account funds, we recommend that you be prudent in the use of your debit card at the doctor's office or hospital. There are two very important reasons why these bills should go directly to your health insurance company. First, your insurance company needs these bills to properly account for your deductible and to know when to start paying for your medical expenses. Second, you enjoy the benefit of discounts that the insurance company has negotiated with doctors and hospitals. Your insurance company will note those discounts on your Explanation of Benefits. Paying at the point of service with debit cards may cause you to lose these discounts. Have your provider bill your insurance company first.

Remember to keep your debit card receipts in case of an IRS audit, or send them to Sterling HSA to scan and archive for you.

Paying Medical Bills

We will pay qualified medical bills that you submit to us for payment. To take advantage of this service, please complete a Request for Disbursement form with a copy of your original bill and an Explanation of Benefit form from your insurance carrier. We will then pay your provider or reimburse you. Sometimes we are presented with bills to pay that we believe may subject you to IRS inquiries. In such cases, we will contact you and ask for direction. A fee may apply to our medical bill paying service based on the Sterling account plan you choose.

While we understand that this process may take longer than simply using a debit card, one of the services we offer relies on our deep health insurance experience to review the Explanation of Benefit from your insurance carrier and make sure you pay only what you should. This service from Sterling HSA can be worth tremendous savings to you and we highly recommend that you only use debit cards for paying small health care bills.