FSA means “flexible spending account,” and HSA means “health savings account.” They’re very similar ways of setting aside pre-tax dollars from your paycheck so that you can pay your copays, medical bills, and buy medical necessities like glasses, shampoo, deodorant, and yes, even fitness equipment. Most HSA and FSA funds expire at the end of the year, with minimal rollover into the next year, but each insurer is different.
And, given that we’re at the end of 2024, many of us are frantically spending our (FSA/HSA) dollars because maybe we overestimated the amount we needed at the beginning of the year, or we kept forgetting to submit receipts and lost them.
If you find yourself in this situation, you’ll be happy to learn that you can buy many big-ticket items—including some fitness equipment—with an FSA/HSA. And right now is a great time to spend because not only are you running out of time, but a ton of great gear is on sale this time of year because they are also seen as “gift-able.” Think massage guns, compression socks, fitness trackers, and even things like yoga mats and blocks. For runners specifically, treadmills, insoles, and electrolyte packs are all seeing big discounts right now.
The list is fairly expansive, and includes everything from ibuprofen to massage guns—basically anything that can be considered health-related or medicinal. Even dependent care can be covered. However, for fitness-y things, the rules are a bit more abstract. While products like the Oura ring or over-the-counter continuous glucose monitors like the Lingo are covered without the need of a doctor’s note because they’re health monitors, other things like treadmills and exercise bikes are a bit more tricky.
The majority of fitness equipment and gym memberships and fitness classes can be covered by your FSA/HSA funds, but you’ll need your doctor to fill out a Letter of Medical Necessity to use the funds to purchase them. This just means that your doctor feels as though it’s pertinent to your health to obtain these services and/or equipment. For example, my gym membership is covered by my FSA funds because I have a history of herniated discs that require me to continually exercise to lower my risk of re-injury. There are myriad reasons why someone might need these goods and services to be covered for their health. For me, it’s been a fairly simple process, and my doctor was the one who actually guided me through it.
Almost all recovery equipment—be it leg sleeves, massage guns, or ice baths—is already covered and easy to purchase in any number of ways. The same goes for most supplements, orthotic insoles for shoes, and ice packs.
Typically, you purchase the product as you would normally, and then you submit a claim for those purchases on your insurer’s or employer’s website. So save your receipts. It can be tedious, but that’s most of bureaucracy. Having done this myself, I can tell you that having to scan and import every receipt is a pain, but do you know what isn’t? Getting that check in the mail. The best way to get approved is by perusing in advance what’s covered on your specific insurer’s website, and also, again, working with your providers to get other needs covered.
If you’re lucky enough to have an insurer that issues FSA debit cards, you simply use those at the point of purchase. This is harder to do on disputed items like electric bicycles but, again, not impossible. Stores like Amazon, FSAstore, Target, CVS, and Walgreens have FSA/HSA eligible tags on the product descriptions for most equipment that falls under a plan.
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