(NewsNation) — A health savings account lets you put pre-tax money aside to pay for your medical expenses, but there are some items that you can buy with your HSA that you might not think about.
HSAs do come with an investment option, so any earnings will grow tax-free if you decide to invest. Any contributions are also made with pre-tax dollars. Typically, you will have the option to add an HSA to your health insurance plan through the government or your workplace.
Here are some not-so-obvious items that you can purchase with your HSA:
- Breast pumps
- Light therapy face masks
- Massage guns
- Transportation
- Medical conferences
- Improvements to your home
- Weight-loss programs
- Alcohol and drug treatment programs
Breast pumps
Your health insurance plan will typically cover your breast pump and any needed supplies. However, if you don’t like the one that is being offered and want a different model, you can use your HSA to purchase one. If you don’t have health insurance and just have existing HSA funds, you can use those, but extra bottles for milk storage wouldn’t count.
HSAs can also be used to help with the cost of breast reconstruction surgery or breast implants after cancer. However, if you just want breast augmentation surgery, you won’t be able to use your HSA funds.
Light therapy face masks
This one was a bit shocking, but yes! You can use your HSA funds to purchase a light therapy face mask. These masks are typically FDA-approved, and they use red and blue lights to help prevent acne and keep your skin clear.
Massage guns
Massage guns can also be purchased with your HSA funds! A Theragun helps with deep-muscle therapy and increases blood flow. It can also help get rid of any tension you might have. These massage guns can run anywhere from $150 to $600.
Theraguns must be used for medical purposes and be purchased with your HSA funds.
Transportation
Your HSA funds can also be used to cover local or long-distance travel, as long as it is essential for your medical care. This can include costs for:
- Ambulances
- Buses
- Rental cars
- Planes
- Car services
- Trains
If you are driving a car you own, you do have the option to add up the expenses. You can also use the IRS’ rate of $0.21 per mile for 2025.
Medical conferences
If you are going to a medical conference that is related to a chronic illness, you can use your HSA funds to pay for admission to the conference as well as transportation. The person who has the chronic illness could be you, your spouse, your child or your eligible dependent.
However, you can’t use your HSA for the cost of meals or hotels while in town for the conference.
Improvements to your home
If there are improvements that need to be made to your home for your medical care, you can use HSA funds to cover those. This can be for you, your spouse, your child or your eligible dependent.
Some improvements that would be eligible include:
- A ramp to get into your home
- Widening your doorways or hallways
- Installing handrails
- Modifying any door handles
Weight-loss programs
If you are diagnosed with obesity or high blood pressure (or other related issues), you might be able to use your HSA funds for a weight-loss program. However, gym fees and food would not be covered.
Alcohol and drug treatment programs
If you have a drug or alcohol use disorder and you need treatment, you can use your HSA to cover those costs. This would include a treatment center where you are staying and the meals. You could also include any transportation to meetings like Alcoholics Anonymous.