10 Surprising Things You Can Buy With Your HSA

by Nicole Spector | Originally posted on Go Banking Rates

If you have a Health Savings Account (HSA), you may have built up a nice nest egg, especially since HSAs have the ability to roll over from year to year. While it’s perfectly fine (and smart!) to let the funds keep building, there’s also quite a few items that you can use your HSA money on that you might not have known about.

Here are some surprising things you can buy with your HSA money:

1. Sunscreen

Doctors cannot overstress the importance of sunscreen as a tool to help prevent sun damage or even skin cancer. For this reason, it’s an HSA-approved purchase — so long as it has at least SPF 15 and provides broad spectrum protection against UVA/UVB rays.

2. Eye Care (Including Contact Lens Solution)

Healthcare plans infamously do not cover eye care, and vision insurance traditionally doesn’t cover things like contact lens solution. But your HSA money does. You can also use these funds to pay for glasses and contact lenses.

3. Menstrual Care Products

Menstrual health products including tampons, menstrual pads, menstrual cups, and pantyliners are covered by HSA dollars.

4. Prenatal Vitamins

Bringing a new life into the world requires a great deal of nutrients, and those prenatal vitamins ain’t free. At least you can buy them with your HSA money instead of your post-tax cash.

5. Hot and Cold Packs

Achy after a tough workout? Or perhaps you’re having an arthritis flare-up? Whatever the case may be, you can use your HSA funds to cover hot and cold packs, which can be found at most pharmacies.

6. OTC Meds

Over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol and Benadryl are also covered by one’s HSA earnings. This is a fairly new development, added under the CARES Act in 2020.