Use Your FSA for Massage Therapy

Making the Most of Your FSA for Massage Therapy

If you have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), it can be a powerful tool for managing your healthcare expenses, including massage therapy. Here's how it works:

1. Open Enrollment: Typically, during the fourth quarter of the year, your employer conducts open enrollment. This is the time when you plan how much money you will need to set aside for the following year's medical expenses.

2. Fund Allocation: Once the new year begins, the funds you designated are withdrawn from each paycheck in small, manageable increments and placed into your FSA. These funds are reserved for qualified medical expenses.

Massage Therapy and Medical Expenses:

Today, many healthcare professionals and health-conscious individuals recognize the numerous benefits of massage therapy for both mental and physical well-being. It's not just a luxury; it can be a prescribed treatment for various conditions, including postoperative recovery, headache relief, and even high blood pressure.

Massage therapy can qualify as a medical expense if you have a physician's written prescription. Some examples of qualifying conditions include carpal tunnel syndrome, stress, back pain, arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, and pain management.

If you have one of these conditions and an FSA or HSA (Health Savings Account), you can use your funds for massage therapy. Here's what you need to do:

1. Get a Physician's Prescription: Inform your doctor about your FSA or HSA and your intention to use it for massage therapy. Your physician will need to provide three key pieces of information on the prescription:
- Medical necessity: Why you need massage therapy (e.g., for back pain relief).
- Frequency: The number of sessions required per month.
- Duration: The length of the treatment (e.g., 12 months).

2. Keep Records: Once you have the prescription, keep a copy in your records and file the original along with your massage therapy receipts to comply with IRS Section 125 rules. Documentation is essential for manual claims submissions and some debit card payments.

 

-Visa/MasterCard: You can use your FSA or HSA cards to make direct payments.
- Reimbursement: Pay for your massage sessions upfront and then submit your receipts for reimbursement.

Please note that gratuities for massage therapy cannot be included in these payments; they should be handled as a separate transaction.

Taking advantage of your FSA for massage therapy is not only good for your well-being but also for your financial health. Consult with your physician and make the most of this valuable resource for your healthcare needs.