What are valid FSA expenses?

Asked by: Kelley Rempel | Last update: October 17, 2023

Score: 4.8/5 (71 votes)

Allowed expenses include insurance copayments and deductibles, qualified prescription drugs, insulin, and medical devices. You decide how much to put in an FSA, up to a limit set by your employer. You aren't taxed on this money.

What are examples of eligible FSA expenses?

You can spend FSA funds to pay deductibles and copayments, but not for insurance premiums. You can spend FSA funds on prescription medications, as well as over-the-counter medicines with a doctor's prescription. Reimbursements for insulin are allowed without a prescription.

What expenses are not covered by FSA?

This is a partial list of health care expenses that are NOT eligible for reimbursement from the Health Care Spending Account:

Any illegal treatment.
Baby-sitting fees to enable you to visit a doctor.
Cosmetic surgery improving the patient's appearance.
Dental bleaching or any other teeth whitening**

How do I know if something is FSA eligible?

Check out IRS Publication 502 or our FSA eligibility list to understand what is covered. In order for something to be considered a “qualified" medical expense, it must be for the primary purpose of diagnosing, treating, curing, mitigating, or preventing a medical condition.

What receipts are FSA approved?

Receipts for eligible medical expenses typically need to have these five key pieces of information in order to be processed for reimbursement:

The patient's name. ...
Health care provider's name. ...
Date of service. ...
Type of service or item. ...
Expense amount.

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21 related questions found

Is toilet paper FSA approved?

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?

Do I need to save receipts for FSA?

Using an FSA debit card will often mean you don't have to submit receipts to your administrator, but it's always a good idea to hold onto your receipts just in case they're needed for any reason.

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.

Can I 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.

Is ibuprofen FSA eligible?

Analgesics (painkillers)

Analgesics (e.g. Advil, Aspirin, Tylenol) are eligible for reimbursement.

Are toothbrushes FSA eligible?

Toothbrushes are not eligible for reimbursement with flexible spending accounts (FSA), health savings accounts (HSA), health reimbursement accounts (HRA), dependent care flexible spending accounts and limited-purpose flexible spending accounts (LPFSA) because they are general health products.

Are massages FSA eligible?

Did you know? Massage Therapy is eligible for reimbursement through most FSA's and HSA's. Some do require a Letter of Medical Necessity from your doctor, but this means you can potentially be reimbursed from your insurance for your massage from us! You just need a note from your primary care physician.

Can you buy deodorant with FSA?

Deodorant: FSA Eligibility

Deodorant reimbursement is not eligible 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).

Are reading glasses FSA eligible?

Both FSAs and HSAs are there to help you save for necessary medical expenses. Reading glasses—even over-the-counter reading glasses—qualify as medical expenses under most FSA and HSA plans. When you set up your FSA or HSA account, you should be given a card. These work just like debit or credit cards.

Are tampons FSA eligible?

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

Is an air purifier FSA eligible?

Are air purifiers FSA eligible? The IRS and your employer decides what can be paid for with FSA dollars, and air purifiers can be reimbursed from your FSA account when accompanied by a letter of medical necessity (LMN) from your doctor.

Is toothpaste covered by FSA?

Toothpaste is 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 is toothpaste?

Can you use FSA for healthy food?

No, you can't use your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) for straight food purchases like meat, produce and dairy. But you can use them for some nutrition-related products and services. To review, tax-advantaged accounts have regulatory restrictions on eligible products and services.

Is dental floss FSA eligible?

While it seems like they would fit under the dental care umbrella, general self-care items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, and floss are not FSA or HSA eligible. Same goes for specialized or medicated toothpastes.

Can FSA be used for electric toothbrush?

Electric toothbrushes are not eligible for reimbursement with flexible spending accounts (FSA), health savings accounts (HSA), health reimbursement accounts (HRA), dependent care flexible spending accounts, and limited-purpose flexible spending accounts (LPFSA) because they are general health products.

How do I get my gym covered by FSA?

For a gym membership to even be considered for reimbursement under a Health Care FSA, you must have:

Approved Letter of Medical Necessity (PDF) on file for a medical condition that requires exercise at a gym.
Individual gym membership contract on file (multi-person contracts will not be considered)

Is melatonin FSA eligible?

Melatonin: FSA Eligibility

Melatonin may be eligible with a Letter of Medical Necessity for reimbursement with a flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA), or a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA).

What happens to leftover money in FSA?

Unused FSA money returns to your employer. The funds can be used towards offsetting administrative costs incurred during the plan year, employers can also reduce annual premiums in the next FSA year, or funds must be equally distributed to employees who enroll in an FSA for the next year.

What happens if you lose receipt for FSA?

Don't freak out. If you submitted the wrong form, contact your FSA provider right away and see if you can resubmit. It's as simple as that. However, if you make a purchase and don't have a matching receipt, you may be able to substitute one from another qualified transaction.

Does FSA affect my tax return?

Key Takeaways. An FSA helps employees cover health-related costs not included in their insurance plans. Contributing to an FSA reduces taxable wages since the account is funded with pretax dollars. Since your FSA contribution is paid in pretax dollars, it cannot be taken as a tax deduction.