How do you get reimbursed for tampons?

Asked by: Diana Herzog  |  Last update: February 1, 2024
Score: 4.9/5 (49 votes)

PayFlex accountholders with debit cards can use their card to purchase period products from drugstores like CVS or they can purchase the items and submit the receipt for reimbursement. Employers may offer an FSA and an HSA for you to enroll in. Or you can open an HSA on your own — like the PayFlex Individual HSA.

Are tampons reimbursable?

Tampons: HSA Eligibility. Tampons are eligible for reimbursement with a flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA), and a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA).

How to use HSA to buy tampons?

This amendment to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 says that money spent on menstrual products—defined as tampons, pads, liners, cups, sponges, or similar products used for menstruation—counts as expenses incurred for medical care, meaning you can use funds in your HSA account or FSA to purchase these essentials.

How can I get free tampons today?

Alliance for Period Supplies is an organization sponsored by U by Kotex. If you or someone you know needs period supplies, text 211 or visit 211.org to find a location near you that offers free tampons and pads. They are associated with food banks and diaper banks in more than 120 locations across the country.

Are tampons an FSA eligible item?

Feminine hygiene products: Pads, liners, and tampons all qualify as FSA-eligible expenses.

Period Shopping How To | What to Buy: Pads, Tampons, etc.

41 related questions found

Can I buy toilet paper with my FSA card?

Toiletries are not eligible for reimbursement with a flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA), health reimbursement arrangement (HRA), limited-purpose flexible spending account (LPFSA) or a dependent care flexible spending account (DCFSA).

Can I buy toothbrush with FSA card?

Even though these might be recommended by the dentist they are not eligible for reimbursement from a healthcare FSA. General health items such as toothbrushes are not eligible for reimbursement from a health FSA because they would be used even if there is no recommendation from a dentist.

What states are tampons free?

Illinois mandates free menstrual products for students in grades 4-12. Since 2021, at least eight additional states, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vermont have introduced legislation related to free menstrual products in schools.

Which states have free period products?

California – Before the 2022-2023 school year, all California public schools that teach grades 6 – 12 are required to provide period products, free of charge, in all women's and all-gender restrooms, and at least one men's restroom. California public universities are required to provide period products at no fewer than ...

Are tampons free anywhere?

1. Alliance for Period Supplies. This organization (sponsored by U by Kotex), helps collect and distribute period supplies to those in need by partnering with over 75 programs nationwide. Anyone who needs period products can text 211 or visit 211.org to find a location giving out free tampons and pads.

Do condoms count for HSA?

Condoms are eligible for reimbursement with flexible spending accounts (FSA), health savings accounts (HSA), and health reimbursement accounts (HRA). They are not eligible for reimbursement with dependent care flexible spending accounts and limited-purpose flexible spending accounts (LPFSA).

What is the difference between FSA and HSA?

HSAs and FSAs both help you save for qualified medical expenses. HSAs may offer higher contribution limits and allow you to carry funds forward, but you're only eligible if you're enrolled in a HSA-eligible health plan. FSAs have lower contribution limits and generally you can't carry over funds.

What feminine products are HSA eligible?

Menstrual products

Menstrual cups (such as the DivaCup) Menstrual cup cleansers (such as DivaWash) Pads. Period underwear (has higher capacity than a tampon)

Can you buy toilet paper with HSA?

Toiletries are not eligible for reimbursement with a flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA), health reimbursement arrangement (HRA), limited-purpose flexible spending account (LPFSA) or a dependent care flexible spending account (DCFSA). What are toiletries?

How much money does the average woman spend on tampons a year?

Menstruation Products Cost Money

According to Groundswell, “the average woman spends about $120 per year on pads and tampons and an additional $20 each year on over-the-counter medication to combat cramps and other period-related side effects.

Why are tampons so expensive right now?

Now, the latest supply chain issue complicating daily life for women across America is a nationwide tampon shortage, set against a backdrop of rising consumer prices because of inflation. For months, Reddit and Instagram users have swapped stories of bare shelves and increased prices.

Why is there a tampon tax?

Menstrual hygiene products are considered by many states within the United States as "tangible individual property" resulting in additional sales tax. This additional tax increases the overall price and further limits accessibility to menstrual hygiene products to lower-income women.

Which day is free period?

A woman is most fertile during ovulation. For a woman with 28 to 30 days menstrual cycle, ovulation takes place during the 10th to the 14th day. But there are still chances to of getting pregnant till the 21st day. So days 1 to 7 and 14 days before your periods are considered to be safe days.

What states have no period tax?

Since the beginning of 2022, Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa, Virginia, New Mexico and Louisiana have instituted new laws ending sales tax on period products. A map updated by Alliance for Period Supplies reveals which other states still tax these items.

Why don t they sell tampons in Mexico?

An effort to prevent waste and stop climate change has people who menstruate scrambling for tampons and in uproar in Mexico City. Mexico City enforced a single-use plastic ban on Jan. 1, making it illegal for retailers to stock tampons with plastic applicators on their shelves, according to the Financial Times.

What states have banned the pink tax?

Only two states — New York and California — have made it illegal to have gender-based pricing, also known as the “pink tax,” which is the practice of charging different (often higher) prices for goods or services marketed to women than for men.

Why does pink tax exist?

The pink tax refers to the tendency for products marketed specifically toward women to be more expensive than those marketed toward men. This phenomenon is often attributed to gender-based price discrimination, however research shows that the primary cause is women sorting into goods with higher marginal costs.

Are protein shakes FSA eligible?

Protein shakes are considered nutritional supplements, and unfortunately you cannot use your flexible spending account (FSA) towards these. We get many questions about FSA eligibility at FSAstore.com, as people often wonder why protein powder is not considered an FSA eligible expense.

Why is toothpaste not covered by FSA?

Toothpaste is considered to be a “general health” item by the IRS, and items that are used to maintain general good health do not qualify. (Dental Health Foundation).

Can you buy vitamins with FSA?

FSA and HSAs won't cover a vitamin supplement geared toward general health and wellness. A vitamin is eligible for coverage by an FSA or HSA only if that vitamin has been recommended by a medical professional for the treatment or prevention of a specific disease or condition.