Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flex Spending Account (FSA) talk has been happening a lot at the office lately. And we are very aware that a majority of you may not know what those are, how they work and that YES, you can use them for massage if done properly. For those who don’t know the 411 here is the lowdown. An HSA/FSA is a triple tax-free account that can help offset your out-of-pocket expenses. Funds are typically automatically deducted from your paycheck and are deposited into the account pre-taxed. The money grows tax-deferred and can be withdrawn tax-free to pay unreimbursed medical expenses such as your deductible, co-pays and other miscellaneous health costs that are not covered by your regular medical plan….. like MASSAGE.
While this sounds amazing and you are probably thinking “SIGN ME UP” we must warn, it can be tricky and there are certain rules/steps/guidelines to follow in order to have massage eligible for reimbursement. But it is possible!
For therapeutic massage to be considered an eligible expense it must be seen as necessary to treat/prevent a medical ailment or condition. This is where the first step comes into play. You will be required to have a prescription on file from one of the following: your primary care physician, a specialist, a physical therapist or a chiropractor. The prescription needs to have the following items listed:
- Why you are being referred for massage. (back pain, shoulder pain, reduce stress/anxiety, etc)
- How frequent you need treatment ( once a month, 2 sessions per month, weekly)
- duration of treatment (for 6 months, for 1 year)
Once you obtain your prescription we recommend you keep it on file with your tax documents in the event you are asked to provide it as proof of verification for the expense. It is not necessary that you give us a copy but it is helpful for us to know who referred you so that we may discuss a treatment plan if needed. We are also happy to provide you with an itemized receipt and/or SOAP notes in the event your HSA/FSA asked for them.
To learn more about the ins and outs of your specific plan and when open enrollment occurs you should speak with your employer’s HR department for more information. You can also visit the IRS page here for more general guidelines: http://1.usa.gov/1GsUtUc