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14 Surprising Things You Can Buy With an HSA or FSA

Sunscreen, massage guns and more eligible expenses for health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts

Sandra Block,

AARP

Published July 16, 2026

A woman pushes a shopping cart full of H S A and F S A eligible items

Jane Demarest

Key takeaways

HSAs and FSAs let you use pretax dollars for a variety of eligible health expenses.
FSAs have a 2026 contribution limit of $3,400 and a use-it-or-lose-it rule, while HSAs have higher contribution caps and let you roll over unused funds.
At-home blood pressure monitors, weight loss medications and first aid supplies qualify as eligible expenses.

Medical bills can be unpredictable and hard to control — especially when you don’t have time to shop around for care. But one area where you can get ahead is how you pay for out-of-pocket costs. That’s where tax-advantaged accounts like health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs) come in.

HSAs and FSAs let you set aside pretax money to pay for expenses that aren’t covered by your health insurance. Like funds contributed to your 401(k), contributions to an HSA or FSA reduce your taxable income. This is particularly valuable if you, like most taxpayers, claim the standard deduction, which limits the tax breaks available to you.

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Withdrawals from these accounts are tax-free as long as you use the money for eligible health care expenses — and as you’ll see below, the list of eligible expenses is quite broad.

Still, there are significant differences between FSAs and HSAs. With limited exceptions, you can’t enroll in both types of accounts, so it’s important to choose the one that’s best for you and your family.

FSAs vs. HSAs

Companies offer flexible savings accounts as an employee benefit. Contributions are deducted from your paycheck, and you can pay for qualified medical costs with a debit card (if your plan offers one), through an online portal or by submitting expenses to your account provider for reimbursement.

In 2026, you can contribute up to $3,400 to an FSA. You must use any excess funds by year-end or by March 15 of the following year if your employer offers a grace period. (Some workplace plans allow you to carry over up to $680.)

That means employees who enroll in an FSA during open enrollment, which is typically in November, need to estimate how much they’ll spend on health care in the upcoming year. That isn’t easy: A 2024 analysis by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) found that about half of account holders forfeit at least a portion of their FSA balance at the end of the plan year.

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The highest rate of forfeitures occurs among workers under age 25, who tend to have lower health care expenses than older adults, says Jake Spiegel, a research associate at EBRI. Older workers are less likely to forfeit FSA funds because they spend more on health care and often have a better handle on their finances, he says.

Even if you don’t deplete your FSA by the deadline, “you still could come out ahead if the tax benefits outweigh the amount you forfeited,” Spiegel says.

Health savings accounts have higher contribution limits than FSAs — $4,400 for self-only coverage and $8,750 for family coverage in 2026. If you’re 55 or older, you can contribute an additional $1,000 to either type of plan. In 2027, you can contribute up to $4,500 for self-only coverage and $9,000 for family coverage, plus an additional $1,000 for adults 55 and older.

Unlike with FSAs, you don’t need to deplete your HSA by year-end. You can roll over unused funds from year to year and take the account with you when you leave your job. “The key difference is that FSAs are owned by the employer, while an HSA is more like a savings account and it’s yours to keep,” says Susan Elliott-Bocassi, chief merchandising and operations officer for Health E-Commerce, a health care online retailer that operates the FSAstore and HSAstore, sister websites that sell FSA- and HSA-eligible medical and wellness products.

If you’re self-employed, you can open your own HSA and deduct contributions on your tax return. Many financial institutions and banks offer HSAs.

To qualify for an HSA, you must be enrolled in a high-deductible health insurance plan, either through your employer or a plan you purchase on your own. In 2026, the IRS defines a high-deductible plan as one that has a deductible of at least $1,700 for self-only coverage and $3,400 for a family plan. In 2027, those thresholds will be $1,750 for self-only coverage and $3,500 for family coverage.

While most workers use HSAs to cover short-term medical expenses, the rollover feature makes them a powerful savings tool. If you can afford to use other funds to pay for out-of-pocket health expenses, you can create a pool of tax-free money to cover a variety of health care costs in retirement.

Many HSAs allow you to invest a portion of your contributions in a portfolio of mutual funds, which could increase the amount of tax-free funds you’ll have available when you retire. “Think about this as a dedicated account just for health care expenses,” says Roy Ramthun, founder of HSA Consulting Services, a firm that advises HSA providers. “Why not take advantage of that if you can?”

Even better, once you turn 65, you can use money in your HSA for nonqualified expenses without paying the 20 percent early-withdrawal penalty charged to younger account holders, although you’ll still have to pay income taxes on the money. That could provide a tax-free source of funds in an emergency.

14 surprising ways you can spend the money

If you’re familiar with FSAs and HSAs, you probably know you can use the money for deductibles and copayments. But here are more than a dozen eligible expenses that might surprise you — and could help you avoid forfeiting funds in an FSA.

Over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen, cough syrup, aspirin and allergy relief pills.
Sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher and a broad spectrum (UAB, UAV).
First aid supplies, such as bandages, alcohol and ice packs.
Wearable devices, such as an Oura ring, Fitbit Air or Amazfit, that track your sleep, steps and other health metrics. Increasingly, “people are using these pretax dollars to take a more proactive approach to their overall well-being,” Elliott-Bocassi says.
At-home blood pressure monitors, including high-tech versions equipped with Bluetooth and other features.
Massage guns for pain relief. These handheld devices use rapid back-and-forth pressure, vibration and, in some cases, heat to relieve muscle pain and soreness, reduce inflammation and improve circulation.
Foot relief. If you’re trying to stay active but experiencing foot pain, you can use FSA and HSA funds to buy custom insoles for your shoes, Elliott-Boccasi says.
Weight loss drugs. GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy and Ozempic are not always covered by insurance. As long as you have a prescription, you can use FSA or HSA funds to pay for these meds because they’re a recognized treatment for conditions such as obesity and diabetes.
Travel expenses for medical treatment. While your insurance may cover an out-of-town doctor’s appointment or hospital stay, it probably won’t cover the cost of getting there. You can use FSA or HSA funds to cover the cost of plane or train tickets or, if you drive, 21 cents per mile, plus parking and tolls. If you need to stay in a hotel, you can use the funds to pay for up to $50 per night, or up to $100 per night if you’re traveling with a sick dependent.
Medical conferences. If you or a dependent has a chronic illness and you want to attend a conference related to the disease, you can use FSA or HSA funds to pay for admission and transportation to the event. (You can’t use the money to pay for hotels or meals while you’re there.)
Erectile dysfunction medication, such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra.
Prescription and over-the-counter contraceptives, such as condoms and birth control medications.
Personal lubricants, like over-the-counter products to reduce vaginal dryness, may be eligible if you have a letter of medical necessity from your doctor.
Direct primary care plans. Starting this year, you can withdraw money from an HSA (not an FSA) to pay for a direct primary care plan. These plans, offered by some primary care physicians and physician groups, provide unlimited access to their services for a monthly fee. You can withdraw funds to pay for them as long as the fees are less than $150 a month for individuals or $300 a month for families.

4 things you can’t buy with HSA or FSA funds

While you can use your FSA and HSA funds for a variety of expenses, there are limits. Here are some items that are, in most cases, ineligible.

Gym memberships. While joining a gym could improve your health, you can’t use FSA or HSA funds for the fees unless you have a letter from your doctor stating that gym exercise will treat a specific condition.
Special meals. While you may be able to purchase weight loss drugs with FSA and HSA funds, diet plans, special foods and general weight loss programs are not eligible unless you have a letter of medical necessity from a health care provider.
Cosmetic procedures. While an eye lift or Botox may improve your mental health, these procedures are generally ineligible for FSA and HSA funds unless they’re necessary to treat a condition related to a congenital abnormality, personal injury or disfiguring disease.
Stockpiles. If you have a large balance left in your FSA at year-end, you may be tempted to buy enough first aid supplies to last several years or to stock up on other eligible items. But IRS rules state that you can only use FSA and HSA funds to purchase items you will reasonably use within a year. “You wouldn’t buy five massage guns, because reasonably you would be using one,” says Elliott-Bocassi.

Sandra Block has covered personal finance for more than two decades. She was a senior editor at Kiplinger Personal Finance and a reporter for USA TODAY. She is the coauthor of The Busy Family’s Guide to Money and Easy Ways to Lower Your Taxes: Simple Strategies Every Taxpayer Should Know.

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