What can flexible spending accounts be used for?
Asked by: Noel Wuckert | Last update: November 18, 2025Score: 4.9/5 (71 votes)
What can I spend a flexible spending account on?
Eligible expense: A medical, dental or vision expense your employer's plan says can be paid for or reimbursed. Flexible spending account (FSA): A benefit plan that lets people put money aside in special accounts, pre-tax, to help pay for certain medical costs, child care, and other health services.
Can you use your FSA card for anything?
Paying for qualified expenses: You can use your FSA funds to cover expenses that are medically necessary tax-free. That means the expenses must be for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, cure, or mitigation of a health condition. Expenses related to your general health purposes typically don't qualify.
Can flex spending be used for groceries?
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.
What happens if I use my FSA card for non-medical expenses?
Your FSA account can be used for eligible medical expenses only and you are solely liable for the use of the plan. If the Benefits Card is accidentally or intentionally utilized for ineligible expenses, you are responsible for reimbursing your account.
What is an FSA (Flexible Spending Account?)
Can I use FSA to pay for gym membership?
While some companies and private insurers may offer discounts on gym memberships, you generally can't use your FSA or HSA account to pay for gym or health club memberships. An exception to that rule would be if your doctor deems fitness medically necessary for your recovery or treatment.
What if I accidentally used my HSA card for groceries?
If you catch the transaction early enough, you might even be able to contact the retailer and ask them to reverse the charge and fill it on a new card. If you bought something in person, you can also return it to the store and then buy it again with a different card.
What bills can I pay with my Flex card?
Flex card money could be used for groceries, assistive devices, utilities and more depending on your insurance plan. Each insurance plan has different rules on how much flex card money you can get and where you can spend it.
Is toilet paper FSA eligible?
Here are examples of items and expenses that are not FSA-eligible for 2024: General health items: toiletries like toothpaste, toilet paper, or shampoo, cosmetic products, vitamins and supplements (without a prescription) Non-medical equipment: car seats, strollers, non-medical exercise equipment.
What is the disadvantage of flex card?
Drawbacks of Flexible Spending Credit Cards
Hurts your credit utilization: Your credit utilization (balance/limit ratio) heavily influences your credit score. Maxing out your card, let alone exceeding your limit, will drive utilization well over the recommended 30% threshold and damage your credit.
What are FSA eligible items?
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.
Can I use FSA for massage?
Pay with Your FSA or HSA: Once you have the prescription, you can pay for your massage therapy directly with your FSA or HSA debit card. If your provider doesn't accept these cards, you can pay out of pocket and submit a claim for reimbursement.
What happens to unused FSA funds?
The IRS created the ""use or lose"" rule, which states that all money left in your FSA is forfeited after the benefit period ends . If you don't use all of your FSA funds during the benefit period, you risk losing money.
What is not covered by a flexible spending account?
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.
Is body wash covered by FSA?
Medicated body or face wash is eligible for reimbursement with a flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA), a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA).
How to cash out a FSA account?
You can't withdraw money from an ATM
One of those is that the money can only be spent on FSA-eligible expenses. The easiest way to be sure your purchases are eligible is to shop at a store that exclusively sell FSA-eligible items (hint: FSAstore.com).
Is Tylenol FSA eligible?
Can I buy OTC medicine such as Tylenol and Tums with my FSA or HSA? Yes. You can buy OTC medicine such as Tylenol and Tums with your FSA or HSA.
Can you buy deodorant with FSA?
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).
What happens if I use my FSA incorrectly?
What Happens If I Use My FSA Incorrectly? If the benefits card is accidentally or intentionally used for ineligible expenses, you are responsible for reimbursing your account. You will be notified if you have an ineligible expense, and your benefits card may be deactivated until your account is reimbursed.
Can I use my Flex card for groceries?
It works just like a prepaid credit or debit card and can have multiple options for use, including online purchases. Use it for those expenses you are eligible to receive an allowance for such as groceries1, 2, over-the-counter health items, and utilities1, 2.
Is an Apple Watch FSA eligible?
Likely not. While your Apple Watch, Garmin, or other tracker may offer you some insight—and maybe even some encouragement—to stay on top of your fitness routine, they are not typically considered medical devices for purposes of FSA and HSA funds.
Can I buy vitamins with FSA?
Vitamins and supplements bought over the counter for general health reasons are typically not a qualified medical expense under IRS rules. You may be eligible to buy certain vitamins with your health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA), if used to treat a medical condition.
What kind of food can I buy with my Flex card?
Use your My Healthy Flex card for the following: OTC items such as cold medicines, incontinence supplies, vitamins, dental care, and much more. Grocery items such as fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy items and much more.
How does IRS know what you spend HSA on?
Verification of expenses is not required for HSAs. However, total withdrawals from your HSA are reported to the IRS on Form 1099-SA. You are responsible for reporting qualified and non-qualified withdrawals when completing your taxes.
Can I buy shampoo with HSA?
Over-the-counter toiletries or personal hygiene items which may include, but are not limited to shampoo, toothpaste, conditioners, hand creams, deodorant, shaving cream, razors, dental floss, body powders, hair gels/sprays, make-up, nail polish accessories, soap, mouthwash, etc., are not reimbursable.