Did You Know You Can Buy These Items With Your HSA or FSA Dollars?

Acupuncture. Prescription sunglasses. Even your favorite face wash. Your Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) might cover way more than you think. And at Cox, we make it easy to take advantage of those perks. 

Cox employees can sign up for an HSA or FSA as part of our comprehensive health coverage. The benefit of having an HSA and FSA is that you can set aside pre-tax dollars to cover out-of-pocket medical expenses, such as: 

• Copays from doctor’s visits, as well as dental and vision expenses 
• Prescription and certain over-the-counter medications

But did you know that these tax-free accounts can also cover a wide range of personal care items? Here are a few HSA- and FSA-eligible items so you can make your health dollars go further. 

1. Sunscreen and lip balm. You can use your FSA or HSA dollars to buy broad-spectrum sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, which is the recommendation from the American Academy of Dermatology. This includes popular brands, such as Neutrogena, CeraVe, Coppertone and Coola. Lip balm with an SPF of 30 or higher is also an eligible expense. 

2. Prescription glasses, contact lenses and sunglasses. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, you can use your pre-tax account for a pair of prescription sunglasses. 

3. Skin care products. Certain skin care products, including facial cleansers, body wash and moisturizers are eligible, too (think products from Aveeno, Dove, Coola, CeraVe, Eucerin and Aquaphor, to name a few). Certain acne and anti-aging treatments are eligible as well. 

4. Fitness tools. There are a lot of devices to take advantage of wherever you are in your fitness journey, from smart scales to heating pads to Therabody’s Theragun handheld massager. 

5. Pregnancy and baby products, including pregnancy and fertility tests, prenatal vitamins, diapers, breast pumps, smart baby monitors and thermometers.  

Bonus: Cox also offers employees access to a Dependent Care FSA, which can be used to pay for before- or after-school care, day care and other qualified expenses for children ages 12 and under. 

6. First-aid supplies, including bandages, antibiotic creams and ointments, hand sanitizer, aloe vera spray for sunburns, hydrocortisone cream for itchy skin and rashes, blood pressure monitors, thermometers and even gut care items like antacids and heartburn meds. 

7. Transportation. You can include what you paid for transportation to another city to receive eligible medical care as part of your medical expenses.

There are more wellness services and items that could be paid for using your HSA/FSA with a doctor’s note, such as: 

• Dietitian services 
• Fitness and sleep trackers 
• Specialty pillows 
• Treadmill 
• Weight-loss programs 
• Yoga classes 

Join a team that supports your well-being from head to toe — literally. Explore careers at Cox and sign up for our Talent Community today.