HSA/FSA
Are Fitness Apps HSA/FSA Eligible?
Health and wellness training in the palm of your hand.
December 26, 2024
Sam O'Keefe
Co-founder & CEO of Flex
Overview
Overview
Overview
As a mother and entrepreneur, it’s simply easier and more practical to WFH — workout from home.
Finger snap if you’ve experienced this: Planning the day can be challenging with a newborn’s ever-shifting schedule and you never know when the next business fire needs dousing. That’s what makes fitness apps so appealing, their pre-designed workouts can be slotted in any time without the need to drive to the gym or studio.
Whether you’re looking for convenience, personalized training, or want a bit of extra accountability, fitness apps are a great option to stay on track with your health journey — and best of all, you may be able to save 30-40% with your Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
Thanks to the phone, fitness has never been more convenient or affordable.
What Are Fitness Apps?
Fitness apps have changed how we approach exercise. From streaming live classes to tracking your fitness progress, many view them as a convenient and affordable way to stay active.
Popular apps include:
Peloton: While most known for their exercise bikes and treadmills, their standalone app is a great way to get on-demand workouts.
Strava: Meaning "strive" in Swedish, Strava is one of the original options for dedicated athletes, such as marathoners, cyclists, and triathletes.
Apple Fitness+: The first app built specifically around the Apple Watch, it delivers a streamlined studio-style experience through your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV so you can work out anytime, anywhere.
Obé Fitness: Offers personalized fitness classes for women including 20+ class types, such as dance cardio and strength training.
MyFitnessPal: One of the first fitness apps, it specializes in building healthy habits around nutrition tracking and fitness goal monitoring.
Bodi: This app is all about transformation, emphasizing building habits that stick along with a library of 130+ proven, step-by-step fitness programs.
Nike Training Club: With 185+ free workouts designed by top trainers, the app also offers coaching, and wellness advice.
Apps are great for their flexibility; you can work out on your schedule, at your own pace, and in your own environment.
Are Fitness Apps HSA and FSA Eligible?
In most cases, fitness expenses require a Letter of Medical Necessity (LOMN) to qualify for HSA/FSA spending.
This means that the fitness app must be considered essential for treating, monitoring, or preventing a specific health condition and the expense would not have been incurred but for the condition. So, if your medical provider prescribes a fitness app as part of your treatment plan and stipulates this in a Letter of Medical Necessity, the fitness app may become HSA or FSA eligible.
Note: While regular exercise significantly reduces the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, the IRS generally views fitness activities as supporting "general health" rather than addressing a specific medical condition — so you need to prove that the fitness app is indeed addressing a specific medical issue.
What may qualify an app to be HSA or FSA eligible?
Common qualifying conditions include:
Cardiovascular diseases: Coronary artery disease, hypertension, heart failure, stroke
Metabolic conditions: Type 2 diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome
Respiratory conditions: COPD, asthma
Musculoskeletal disorders: Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, chronic back pain
Mental health conditions: Depression, anxiety disorders, stress, ADHD
Neurological conditions: Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis
Gastrointestinal conditions: IBS, constipation
Cancer: Exercise as a complementary treatment or prevention.
Endocrine disorders: PCOS, thyroid disorders
Chronic pain conditions: Fibromyalgia, chronic headaches
Aging-related conditions: Sarcopenia, cognitive decline
Smart Tools for Smart Training: Revolutionize Your Workouts with Trainwell and Tempo
Here are a few cutting-edge fitness solutions to help you stay on track:
Trainwell: This platform provides personalized training programs tailored to your fitness level and goals. With expert guidance and progress tracking, Trainwell ensures that every workout is efficient, effective, and customized to your needs.
Tempo: Tempo redefines home workouts with its AI-powered smart gym system. Featuring real-time feedback, live classes, and personalized plans, Tempo brings the feel of a professional fitness studio right to your living room.
Centr: Emphasizing custom plans and coaching, Centr aims to be your partner toward a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life.
How Flex Can Help You Pay for Fitness Apps with Your HSA/FSA
Looking to make fitness part of your healthcare strategy? Flex can help you, well, flex your budget.
If the brand has partnered with Flex:
Step 1: Step 1: Add the HSA/FSA-eligible fitness program or class you want to your cart
Flex partners with brands like Trainwell and Tempo to streamline the process of paying for HSA/FSA-eligible fitness classes, programs and apps.
Step 2: Complete a quick, 3-minute health consultation
Through Flex, you’ll have an Instant chat consultation with a licensed provider who will determine your eligibility. If eligible, you’ll receive a Letter of Medical Necessity in under two hours.
Step 3: Select “Flex | Pay with HSA/FSA" at checkout
And that’s it! You can purchase directly from the companies by selecting “Flex | Pay with HSA/FSA" as your payment option at checkout. You can then use either your HSA/FSA card to pay directly or pay out-of-pocket with a regular credit or debit card (and receive the required documents to submit for reimbursement via email).
If the brand has not partnered with Flex:
Complete the health consultation to determine your eligibility. If eligible, you’ll receive a Letter of Medical Necessity in under two hours.
Submit for reimbursement: Pay for your fitness program, class, or app with a standard payment method. Do not use your HSA/FSA card at checkout. Follow our instructions to submit your Letter and receipt to your HSA/FSA administrator for reimbursement.
Fitness at Your Finger Tips
Whether you’re looking to build strength, improve your cardio, or practice mindfulness, fitness apps put a world of health and wellness activities at your fingertips. They can be especially useful if you’re working to improve, treat, or prevent a specific health condition; they provide a convenient and cost-conscious alternative to in-person programs. And remember, fitness apps may be covered by your HSA or FSA too.
As a mother and entrepreneur, it’s simply easier and more practical to WFH — workout from home.
Finger snap if you’ve experienced this: Planning the day can be challenging with a newborn’s ever-shifting schedule and you never know when the next business fire needs dousing. That’s what makes fitness apps so appealing, their pre-designed workouts can be slotted in any time without the need to drive to the gym or studio.
Whether you’re looking for convenience, personalized training, or want a bit of extra accountability, fitness apps are a great option to stay on track with your health journey — and best of all, you may be able to save 30-40% with your Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
Thanks to the phone, fitness has never been more convenient or affordable.
What Are Fitness Apps?
Fitness apps have changed how we approach exercise. From streaming live classes to tracking your fitness progress, many view them as a convenient and affordable way to stay active.
Popular apps include:
Peloton: While most known for their exercise bikes and treadmills, their standalone app is a great way to get on-demand workouts.
Strava: Meaning "strive" in Swedish, Strava is one of the original options for dedicated athletes, such as marathoners, cyclists, and triathletes.
Apple Fitness+: The first app built specifically around the Apple Watch, it delivers a streamlined studio-style experience through your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV so you can work out anytime, anywhere.
Obé Fitness: Offers personalized fitness classes for women including 20+ class types, such as dance cardio and strength training.
MyFitnessPal: One of the first fitness apps, it specializes in building healthy habits around nutrition tracking and fitness goal monitoring.
Bodi: This app is all about transformation, emphasizing building habits that stick along with a library of 130+ proven, step-by-step fitness programs.
Nike Training Club: With 185+ free workouts designed by top trainers, the app also offers coaching, and wellness advice.
Apps are great for their flexibility; you can work out on your schedule, at your own pace, and in your own environment.
Are Fitness Apps HSA and FSA Eligible?
In most cases, fitness expenses require a Letter of Medical Necessity (LOMN) to qualify for HSA/FSA spending.
This means that the fitness app must be considered essential for treating, monitoring, or preventing a specific health condition and the expense would not have been incurred but for the condition. So, if your medical provider prescribes a fitness app as part of your treatment plan and stipulates this in a Letter of Medical Necessity, the fitness app may become HSA or FSA eligible.
Note: While regular exercise significantly reduces the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, the IRS generally views fitness activities as supporting "general health" rather than addressing a specific medical condition — so you need to prove that the fitness app is indeed addressing a specific medical issue.
What may qualify an app to be HSA or FSA eligible?
Common qualifying conditions include:
Cardiovascular diseases: Coronary artery disease, hypertension, heart failure, stroke
Metabolic conditions: Type 2 diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome
Respiratory conditions: COPD, asthma
Musculoskeletal disorders: Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, chronic back pain
Mental health conditions: Depression, anxiety disorders, stress, ADHD
Neurological conditions: Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis
Gastrointestinal conditions: IBS, constipation
Cancer: Exercise as a complementary treatment or prevention.
Endocrine disorders: PCOS, thyroid disorders
Chronic pain conditions: Fibromyalgia, chronic headaches
Aging-related conditions: Sarcopenia, cognitive decline
Smart Tools for Smart Training: Revolutionize Your Workouts with Trainwell and Tempo
Here are a few cutting-edge fitness solutions to help you stay on track:
Trainwell: This platform provides personalized training programs tailored to your fitness level and goals. With expert guidance and progress tracking, Trainwell ensures that every workout is efficient, effective, and customized to your needs.
Tempo: Tempo redefines home workouts with its AI-powered smart gym system. Featuring real-time feedback, live classes, and personalized plans, Tempo brings the feel of a professional fitness studio right to your living room.
Centr: Emphasizing custom plans and coaching, Centr aims to be your partner toward a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life.
How Flex Can Help You Pay for Fitness Apps with Your HSA/FSA
Looking to make fitness part of your healthcare strategy? Flex can help you, well, flex your budget.
If the brand has partnered with Flex:
Step 1: Step 1: Add the HSA/FSA-eligible fitness program or class you want to your cart
Flex partners with brands like Trainwell and Tempo to streamline the process of paying for HSA/FSA-eligible fitness classes, programs and apps.
Step 2: Complete a quick, 3-minute health consultation
Through Flex, you’ll have an Instant chat consultation with a licensed provider who will determine your eligibility. If eligible, you’ll receive a Letter of Medical Necessity in under two hours.
Step 3: Select “Flex | Pay with HSA/FSA" at checkout
And that’s it! You can purchase directly from the companies by selecting “Flex | Pay with HSA/FSA" as your payment option at checkout. You can then use either your HSA/FSA card to pay directly or pay out-of-pocket with a regular credit or debit card (and receive the required documents to submit for reimbursement via email).
If the brand has not partnered with Flex:
Complete the health consultation to determine your eligibility. If eligible, you’ll receive a Letter of Medical Necessity in under two hours.
Submit for reimbursement: Pay for your fitness program, class, or app with a standard payment method. Do not use your HSA/FSA card at checkout. Follow our instructions to submit your Letter and receipt to your HSA/FSA administrator for reimbursement.
Fitness at Your Finger Tips
Whether you’re looking to build strength, improve your cardio, or practice mindfulness, fitness apps put a world of health and wellness activities at your fingertips. They can be especially useful if you’re working to improve, treat, or prevent a specific health condition; they provide a convenient and cost-conscious alternative to in-person programs. And remember, fitness apps may be covered by your HSA or FSA too.
Flex is the easiest way for direct to consumer brands and retailers to accept HSA/FSA for their products. From fitness and nutrition, to sleep and mental health, Flex takes a holistic view of healthcare and enables consumers to use their pre-tax money to do the same.