How Can I Use an FSA for Alternative Medicine?

Many Americans are able to find relief through alternative medicine and health practices. If you enjoy alternative medical treatments and you use a flexible spending account (FSA), you might be wondering if you’d be able to cover those treatments with your FSA. In this blog, we’ll talk about which alternative medicines are FSA-eligible expenses.

Is Alternative Medicine an FSA Eligible Expense?

Many individuals with flexible spending accounts are surprised to find out that many alternative treatments actually are FSA-eligible expenses. As long as you have a letter of physical necessity from your doctor or therapist, these treatments are often covered. Sometimes, depending on the type of treatment, the letter might not even be needed.

Here are some of the alternative medical treatments you might be able to cover with your flexible spending account:

• Massage: Massages can help relieve a variety of ailments. For these treatments, you’ll often need to obtain a letter from your doctor. Massages for rest and relaxation are not covered, however.
• Acupuncture: Acupuncture is another alternative treatment that has been known to help relieve certain conditions. For acupuncture, you will likely need a letter from your doctor.
• Chiropractic: You may want to get a note from your doctor for this treatment as well, but in some cases you may not need a letter if the treatments are related to a chronic condition or injury.
• Therapy devices: You can even use your FSA to buy therapy devices to use at home. This way you can get the treatment that helps with your condition on a regular basis. For these devices, you will need a letter from your doctor.

As you can see, flexible spending accounts can be very versatile, as long as the treatments are deemed helpful or necessary by your doctor or physical therapist.

Choosing an FSA

Now that you know more about what an FSA can cover and what alternative treatments are FSA-eligible expenses, you may be wondering which FSA you should choose. Make sure to look at your options and find an FSA that works best for you, so you can get the most out of it.

Read a similar article about how to compare health insurance plans here at this page.