Medical spending accounts
Ask before using account money.
Health savings account is the full name behind HSA. Flexible spending arrangement is what FSA stands for. Both allow money to be put aside before tax to cover medical costs.
A general health goal is not enough.
A cost that only benefits general health does not qualify as medical care under IRS (the U.S. tax agency) guidance checked September 26, 2026.
Its guidance draws a line between general wellness and treating a specific diagnosed disease.
That general rule is not a decision about a GHK-Cu expense. Ask the account administrator—the person or service managing the account—to check your exact expense.
Ask what proof to keep with the account answer.
A “letter of medical necessity” explains why care is needed. The IRS rules checked September 26, 2026 did not require a document with that name.
An account administrator may ask for such a letter to help show why care is needed.
For an FSA, someone other than you must check the expense. The records must name the service or product, the date and the amount paid, under the IRS guidance cited here.
- Can this specific expense qualify under my account’s rules?
- Which receipts or other records are needed?
- Do you need a letter from the clinician?
- Can the visit, tests and product be checked separately?
- Can I have the answer before making a payment?
Keep the account answer with the quote.
Write the expense name beside each answer. Keep the reply, care quote and requested records together.
If the answer is unclear, ask what is missing. Do not treat a card being accepted at checkout as the answer to your question.
Read the general tax rule.
These IRS pages explain general tax rules and the records used to check expenses. For an answer about your own GHK-Cu expense, ask the person managing your account.