Power of Attorney

How to submit one of two types of Power of Attorney documents to HealthEquity

Updated over a week ago

A power of attorney (POA) is a legal document that one person can create to give another person legal authority to act on their behalf in the event they are unable to manage their own affairs. The person they appoint is called their agent or, in some states, their attorney-in-fact.

The specific powers granted in a POA document are often listed out separately. For purposes of using a POA document to act on a member's HealthEquity account, the document must include powers granted to manage banking and other financial institution accounts.

There are two types of POAs that may be submitted to HealthEquity:

Durable power of attorney

A durable POA goes into effect as soon as it is signed and notarized (or witnessed). This means that the agent is immediately authorized to manage the person's affairs and act on their behalf. The agent or attorney-in-fact will be authorized to act on a person’s behalf for as long as the person who created the POA is alive. A durable POA continues to be in effect, even if the person becomes incapacitated. These types of POAs are valid from the date the document was signed until the death of the person who created the POA (or until the POA is revoked). To find out if a POA is durable, simply look for the term 'durable' in the document itself.

Springing power of attorney

A springing POA does not go into effect unless a doctor certifies that the person who created the document has become incapacitated. The agent named in the document has no authority unless and until the person who created the document becomes incapacitated, at which time the POA 'springs' into effect. A springing POA states that certification of a person's mental capacity from a licensed professional is required for the POA to be valid. In the case of a springing POA, HealthEquity needs to receive a copy of the certification letter as well as the POA itself before we can allow the agent access to the member's account.

How to submit your request

Have a scanned or digitized copy of the POA (and any accompanying documentation, if required) handy.

From your Member Portal, click the Support icon then click Fill out a Form to upload your document.

If you are unable to upload your documents, they can be faxed, mailed, or emailed to us.

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