Commuter Benefits

Save Money on Everyday Commuter Expenses

Whether your commute involves taking public transportation, paying for parking or both, a HealthyME Commuter Account, administered by MyChoice Accounts, can help you save on everyday commuting costs.

Transit and Parking accounts are governed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). By using pre-tax payroll deductions to pay for your eligible transit and parking expenses, you reduce your taxable income and increase your take-home pay.

Contributions and Tax Savings

The best reason to have a Commuter Account is the tax savings. Your Commuter Account deductions are taken from your paycheck pre-tax to the extent allowable under the IRS rules, reducing your taxable income and saving you money on eligible expenses.

How Much Can I Contribute?

Commuter Account contribution limits are set annually by the IRS. In 2026, you may elect up to $340/month for transit expenses and up to $340/month for parking expenses. You may increase or decrease your election month to month, based on actual use.

If your transit or parking costs are higher than the IRS maximum, you may elect to contribute more than $340/month to ensure you have the amount you need set aside, but any funds exceeding $340 will be taken from your paycheck after taxes.

Please note: Commuter Accounts allow you to pay only for expenses that you incur commuting to and from work. Costs incurred by a spouse or other family members are not eligible for this program.

How Commuter Accounts Work

Transit Account: May be used to purchase fare for bus, subway, train, trolley, ferry and light rail, as well as verified carpooling programs, such as a metro vanpool, and ride-sharing programs like UberPool.

Parking Account: May be used to pay for work-related parking expenses, such as parking garages/lots, meters and parking expenses incurred near a transit station.

Set your contributions

To elect transit and/or parking accounts, log into the HealthyME Benefits Center and select Change My Benefits. You will set the contribution amount that will be deducted pre-tax twice a month from your paycheck. You can change your elections month-to-month, based on your commuting needs.

Use your funds

Pay for eligible expenses directly with your MyChoice Accounts debit card. There’s no waiting for reimbursement!

Funds remain in your account year over year if unused
This makes it easy to build and use your balance as your commuting needs vary
If you do need to submit for reimbursement, please be aware of there are different rules for each type of account:

- Transit Accounts: Per IRS regulations, you cannot get reimbursed for out-of-pocket transit expenses.
- Parking Account: You can get reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses if you are unable to use your MyChoice Accounts debit card to pay at a parking location.

Learn more about how to use your funds by visiting the MyChoice Accounts Commuter Accounts FAQ.

Need to pause your commuter account(s) deductions? If you are going on vacation, or your commuting situation changes, don’t forget that you can change your deduction amount as many times as needed. If you are not actively using the account, but want to ensure that you continue having access to any remaining account balance, change your contribution to $0. If you cancel your commuter benefit, any unused account balance will be forfeited.

Separate accounts for transit and parking

IRS rules require that transit and parking funds be used only for their respective expenses.

You cannot use transit funds for parking or vice versa
You can elect both parking and transit amounts, and contribute to both accounts, if needed

Example: If you pay for parking at a park-and-ride lot and also purchase a bus pass, you can use commuter benefits for both. The bus pass counts toward the transit account, and the parking expense counts toward the parking account.

View a List of Eligible Transit and Parking Expenses →

Other Important Rules to Know

If you enroll or make changes to your account before the 16th day of a given month, your enrollment/changes will become effective on the first day of the following month.
- For example, if you enroll or make changes before August 16, those changes will be effective September 1; however, a change made on August 20 would go into effect on October 1.

Funds carry over year to year if not used.
- If you leave your employment at Montefiore and you have unused funds in your commuter transit account, you have ninety (90) days from the date your employment ends to use the funds in your account for eligible expenses. Any unused pre-tax funds will be forfeited to your employer, and any post-tax funds will be refunded to you at the end of the ninety (90)-day period.
- If you leave Montefiore and you have unused funds in your commuter parking account, any unused pre-tax funds will be forfeited to your employer on the day of termination, per IRS regulations.

For additional information, including details for using your MyChoice Accounts debit card or how to submit for reimbursement, review the MyChoice Accounts Commuter Accounts FAQ.

HealthyME Benefits Center

866-959-3545
HealthyMEBenefitsEnroll.com

Access Your Commuter Account

Log in to the private and secure part of the website to view your account balance, submit a claim and elect your contribution on a monthly basis. Ask Sofia, your personal benefits assistant, if you need help finding information or understanding your benefits.

What Are Commuter Benefits?

Download the MyChoice Benefits App

Access your account information on-the-go.

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