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Getting Reimbursed for Dependent Care Expenses

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This page contains tips for submitting dependent care expense claims that can speed up the processing of your claims and help you get your money faster.

Quick recap

Eligible expenses

  • Care must be for children under 13 unless they are incapable of self-care. An annual Letter of Medical Necessity is required if the child is over 13 and should be submitted with your claim (see below for the letter).
  • Care must be provided by an individual with a tax ID or a Social Security Number.
  • Care must allow the parent(s) to be gainfully employed and be custodial in nature.

Expenses not covered

  • Care provided by a parent or sibling under age 19 or by someone you claim as a dependent for tax purposes 
  • Late fees due to late payments and fees charged for missed days
  • Transportation, activity fees, meals, and food items
  • Overnight camps, after-school educational classes, sports, or enrichment classes
  • School expenses including kindergarten

Requesting reimbursement

1. Gather documentation for this claim

This can be a provider invoice, which must include:

  • Provider name
  • Provider address
  • Date(s) of service
  • Amount charged

Receipts showing payment are not required.

You can alternatively work with the provider to complete a paper (mail-in) claim form and have them sign it.

2. Submit the claim

This can be done online through your account at www.carefirst.com/myaccount or by sending in a paper claim form. You will be asked for the following information:

  • The provider tax ID or Social Security Number (this field is optional)
  • Dependent name
  • Required documentation

Online reimbursement claims

To submit an online reimbursement claim:

  1. Sign in at www.carefirst.com/myaccount and select your spending account profile.
  2. Choose Get Reimbursed from the I Want To… menu.
  3. If you have more than one account, select DCAP account, then click Next
  4. Enter the amount you would like to request, then click Next
  5. Add or select a bank
  6. Add the dates of service
  7. Enter the name of the service provider (the field below for the service provider tax ID is optional)
  8. Select the name of the dependent receiving the care
  9. Click Next
  10. Attach your documentation. You can either upload a completed Dependent Care Form or upload your receipts
  11. Click Next
  12. Review and accept the terms by checking the I certify box
  13. Click Submit 

Your documentation will need to include the following items:

  • Date of service
  • Name of the dependent who received care
  • Name of the service provider
  • Type of service 
  • The amount you were charged for service

Attachments must be less than 15MB in size and in one of the following file formats: JPG, PDF, TIFF, PNG, or BMP.

Mail-in reimbursement claims

You can also request reimbursement by mailing in a paper form. This method will take longer. Use the link found later in this page.

When to submit claims

  • Submit claims for care that has occurred in the past.
  • Submitting claims monthly is easier than submitting each pay period. Don't wait until the end of your runout period, as it may take longer to get reimbursed.
  • Make sure the start of your claim service date falls on or after your account's effective date.