photo from http://www.oralabs.com/blog/wear-sunscreen/
For those of you with HSA or FSA funds, December 31 marks the, “use it or lose it,” deadline. If you don’t need an eye exam or new glasses, what do you spend those funds on?
DID YOU KNOW…
…that HSA and FSA dollars can, in most cases, be spent on sunscreen?
You’ll want to verify with your plan provider, of course, but yes – this is a viable option. If you have an FSA card, you can order FSA-eligible items directly with it; Walgreens has a whole section of their site dedicated to FSA-eligible items; otherwise you will have to check for your reimbursement process.
What better way to stock up on sunscreen for 2016? Most varieties are covered – sprays, traditional lotions, sticks, what-have-you. You may not be able to convince them to cover Coola or Supergoop (but I don’t know for sure that you can’t, either), but still. Stock up for 2018!
Other FSA Funds Neat-to-Knows
Warming Packs
Some FSAs cover thermal packs (like Thermacare or similar) patches. I’ve definitely stocked up a few times in the past so as not to lose my pre-tax funds.
Breast Pumps
Many FSA plans allow funds to be used to purchase breast pumps! I’m not a mom, but a few years ago I was facing an abundance of FSA funding towards the end of the year. We were good on eye exams, glasses, sunscreen, and first aid supplies already. A family member was expecting and wanted/needed a pump – so I was able to get her a really lovely Medela set that would have otherwise been out of my gifting budget with my soon-to-expire FSA funds.
My plan doesn’t require the FSA plan holder to be the pregnant person (or provide proof or any such thing), but do check your plan’s policy to be sure.
The Bottom Line
I just like to remind everyone not to let their money go to waste. I like contributing to an FSA to cover both planned and unplanned medical expenses, but it would be a shame to let any unused money to go waste. As for me, this year I don’t have any leftover FSA funds due to my Invisalign treatment.