Stretch Those HSA Dollars

By: Christopher Stevenson

Dental Work in Mexico? Really? Are you crazy?

I never realized that my HSA funds covered dental work performed outside of the United States. So, the purpose of this article is to share my dental tourism experience in Mexico and to demonstrate how you can really maximize your HSA dollars.

Dental Tourism Experience

There is no sense discussing what happened in Mexico with my full mouth reconstruction if the work done there is inferior and even damaging. Obviously, such a venture is not worth any money at all. However, there are clinics in Mexico that are every bit as modern, clean and high quality as what you will find in the USA. But, just like anything else, you need to do your homework.

For me, a retired male of age 69, I researched dental work in Mexico for months. Here’s what I wanted:

  • Dentists trained and certified in the United States

  • Clinics with a sterling track record – volume and quality reviews

  • Highest standard for cleanliness and best practices

  • English-speaking

  • Low cost

  • State-of-the-art dental equipment

  • Minimal danger as a tourist

I ended up going with Cancun Dental Specialists as they seemed to check off all my boxes. I had a full mouth reconstruction. This meant the removal of old, cracked and leaking crowns and the placement of 24 new crowns from molar to molar on the top and the bottom. I was blown away by the end result. It was a night- to-day change in appearance with a Hollywood-like smile. (Check out photos at all-on-four-Mexico.com)

How to Save HSA Money

The cost for what I had done in Mexico would have been close to $50,000 in the United States. My cost in Cancun was $12,380. FYI, the final price was exactly what they quoted me. Do the math. It comes out to 25% of the U.S. price. 

Now, here’s the nice part. Because my dental work was essential (repair and replacement of crowns, broken teeth, etc.) it is an HSA covered expense as listed by the IRS in their 2019 502 publication. Additionally, travel and lodging are covered when in connection with essential dental work. (As always, best to contact your tax advisor for their professional opinion.) The combination of quality dental work in Cancun and using your HSA dollars to pay for it is a hard deal to ignore.

Bottomline, you can use your hard-earned HSA dollars for amazing dental work in Mexico (or other places in the world) and save anywhere from 25 - 40% on the cost.

BJCChristopher StevensonComment