Health Savings Accounts have some pretty surprising tax benefits, so I, R, S. has strict guidelines on using HSA funds for “medically necessary, rather than cosmetic” procedures. Let's talk first about tax benefits. Fortunately, you can use your HSA account to pay for dermatology visits, but it's important to know what the dermatologist covers first.
You don't want to spend hundreds of dollars only to find out that you won't get a refund from the HSA. Here's what you should know about seeing your skin doctor and using your HSA. Health and wellness include making smart financial decisions. Many spa guests often wonder if they can use their health savings account to pay for services.
The short answer is that, unless prescribed by a doctor, no. If you have had surgery or have a medical condition where a massage can help, talk to your doctor for a prescription and then you can reimburse yourself with your HSA. Even if you don't have a medical condition, as part of your overall health and wellness, it's worth learning more about HSAs to see if this is something you could add to your financial wellness portfolio. As you think about withdrawing your HSA dollars before the end of the year, think about the procedures you want to spend them on.
Each procedure has its own benefits and recovery time. You should also note that you can only use your HSA in cosmetic procedures that are necessary to improve a deformity due to a congenital anomaly, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or a disfiguring disease. Annual whole-body skin exams, diagnostic visits, and follow-up visits must be eligible expenses under an HSA or FSA plan. During a whole-body skin exam, the dermatologist will thoroughly evaluate the skin and may biopsy the lesions of concern.
We recommend that all patients undergo annual skin checks, especially those with fair skin, frequent sun exposure, or a family or personal history of skin cancer. Your dermatologist may recommend more frequent skin checks. You can use your HSA or FSA to present your best face. Because acne is considered a medical problem and not a cosmetic problem, you can purchase acne cleansers, gels and creams, including home phototherapy kits with your benefits debit card.
Also use it to visit a dermatologist to evaluate or treat acne. And all sunscreen products are also eligible, including tinted sunscreen lotion and SPF eye cream.
