HSA/FSA
How to Buy a Molekule Air Purifier With Your FSA or HSA
Improve your home’s air quality and save money too — now that’s a breath of fresh air!
September 18, 2024
Sam O'Keefe
Co-founder & CEO of Flex
Overview
Overview
Overview
Overview
HSA and FSA Eligibility of the Molekule Air Purifier:
Molekule is eligible for purchase with a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) if you have a Letter of Medical Necessity. You can use your HSA or FSA card to purchase or pay for it out-of-pocket and be reimbursed.
Most people think more about outdoor air quality than the air inside their home. That makes sense given the rise in wildfires, dust storms, or inversion in some places.
But consider this: we spend up to 90% of our time indoors!
Mold, allergens, chemicals and VOCs, smoke, and other airborne particulates are commonplace and can cause a range of health issues, such as respiratory and heart disease, reduced cognitive function, and even contribute to cancer.
Luckily, air purifiers are a great way to remove contaminants leading to a healthier and more comfortable living environment — especially for kids and the elderly. That’s why Molekule came to be and the reason they are so passionate about addressing the negative effects of polluted air.
Read on to learn how to improve your indoor air quality with Molekule air purifiers and how to save money by buying with your HSA or FSA.
What is a Molekule Air Purifier?
Parents will go to great lengths to protect their children — like inventing a new technology.
Growing up in the 1990s, Dilip Goswami suffered from severe asthma and no home air purifiers at the time seemed to help. So his father, Dr. Yogi Goswami, who was researching solar energy at the time, put his PhD in mechanical engineering towards creating a better air filtration device using photoelectrochemical oxidation (PECO) and nanotechnology to eliminate indoor pollutants on a molecular level. The new tech worked, helping to reduce his son’s asthma triggers.
Years later, Dr. Goswami’s children, Dilip and Jaya, commercialized their father’s invention as Molekule, winning numerous awards, like Time’s Top 25 Inventions of 2017, Edison’s Best New Products, and Allure’s Best of Beauty, along the way.
Benefits of an Air Purifier
Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental health risks according to the World Health Organization (WHO), however, air purifiers play a vital role in addressing common health issues related to airborne allergens, pollutants, and irritants. Here are a few:
Asthma in children: Epidemiologic studies indicate that indoor air pollution is correlated with morbidity caused by allergic diseases. For this study, asthmatic children had air purifiers installed in their living rooms and bedrooms for a 12-week study. At the end, the active group showed significant improvement in nasal symptoms for allergic rhinitis.
For pet lovers: In this study, adult asthmatics who are affected by pet dander, yet lived with an indoor cat or dog (because: furry friends!), had HEPA air cleaners installed in their living room and bedroom for 12 months. Compared with a group using vacuum cleaners alone, they had significant improvement in “combined asthma outcome.”
Air quality affects blood pressure: Indoor air quality is known to adversely affect cardiorespiratory health. Lastly, in this study, air filters were used in homes where smoking was prevalent and found a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and may have contributed to improved lung function too.
How does a Molekule Air Purifier work?
Molekule offers two products, the Air Mini+ (designed for rooms up to 250 square feet) and Air Pro (for spaces up to 1,000 sq ft).
Both devices use their patented PECO technology and a true HEPA 99.97% particle-capture efficiency rate to capture and destroy pollutants — including viruses, bacteria, mold, allergens, VOCs, and more — in personal spaces like bedrooms and offices. There is also carbon filtration to reduce odors and toxic gasses.
What Is PECO?
PECO is short for photoelectrochemical oxidation. Unlike industry-standard High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters which capture particles using mechanical filtration, PECO destroys organic pollutants that HEPA leaves behind
In addition to mechanical filtration, PECO filters are coated in a catalyst that reacts to UV light (from an internal source) releasing free radicals that oxidize gaseous pollutants and breaks them down at a molecular level, making them harmless.
Can You Buy a Molekule Air Purifier With Your HSA or FSA?
Yes, Molekule’s air purifiers are available to buy with your HSA or FSA. This includes their Air Mini+, Air Pro, and replacement filters (which are recommended to be changed every 6 months for the Pro and every 3 months for the Mini+).
How to buy Molekule air purifiers with your HSA/FSA
Note that Molekule requires a Letter of Medical Necessity (we explain what this is below) to purchase. You can obtain a LOMN during the checkout process. Here is how it works:
From the Molekule checkout page, select “Flex | Pay with HSA/FSA” as your checkout option.*
At checkout, Flex will prompt you to fill in a short health questionnaire to confirm your eligibility to pay with your HSA/FSA.
From there, enter your HSA/FSA card details and complete your checkout as usual. If you don’t have an HSA/FSA card, you can complete the checkout with a regular credit or debit card, and Flex will provide you with an itemized receipt to submit for reimbursement.
*Note: At this time, the Flex payment option is unavailable for subscriptions, so please select ‘No thanks’ when prompted to sign up for filter auto-refill subscriptions.
How do you qualify to use your HSA or FSA Molekule air purifiers?
Remember, in order to qualify to buy an air purifier with your HSA or FSA, the device must be “prescribed” by your doctor (in the form of a Letter of Medical Necessity) to address a specific medical condition that improved air quality could benefit.
These might include:
Asthma
Allergies
Chronic Bronchitis
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Cystic Fibrosis
Emphysema
Environmental Allergies
Heart Disease
Immune System Disorders
Lung Cancer
Mold Exposure
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Pregnancy
Pulmonary Fibrosis
Post-surgery Recovery
Respiratory Infections
Sinusitis
Sleep Apnea
Smoking and Secondhand Smoke Exposure
Quick Overview of HSAs & FSAs
As a quick refresher, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are tax-advantaged financial accounts set up exclusively for health-related expenses. You can think of them a bit like supplemental coverage to help pay for healthcare expenses not covered by your health insurance — and they are great tools for managing healthcare costs.
HSAs and FSAs are designed to be used for qualified medical expenses which the IRS stipulates “must be primarily to alleviate or prevent a physical or mental disability or illness” and includes costs associated with diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention. In Publication 502 (the link above) you will find a comprehensive list of approved items.
However, you can also pay for items that aren’t pre-approved if you receive a Letter of Medical Necessity from a healthcare professional.
What Is a Letter of Medical Necessity?
Simply, a Letter of Medical Necessity (LOMN) is like a doctor’s note that allows doctors to make determinations on behalf of patients, to qualify certain purchases for HSA or FSA spending. The LOMN must outline why a specific purchase is medically necessary for an individual and how it addresses a specific condition (some of which are mentioned above).
Why You Should Take Advantage of HSAs or FSAs to Buy a Molekule Air Purifier
There are a few reasons you want to consider using your HSA or FSA to buy a Molekule Air Purifier:
Tax savings: Because HSAs and FSAs are tax-advantaged financial accounts, you can put money away for medical fees while also reducing your taxable income. Specficially, contributions are pre-tax and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are tax-free, which means you can save 30-40% on purchases because of tax savings.
FSAs are Use It or Lose It: One major difference between FSAs and HSAs is that most FSA funds that are not used by the end of the plan year are forfeited. There is the potential for a grace period or a limited rollover option, but in the end, you will either need to use your funds or lose them.
Be proactive about your health: Think of your HSA or FSA as letting you take control of your health because you can choose to invest in preventative or mitigating products or services not typically covered by your health insurance. This approach can help to detect problems early, reduce the risk of disease, and generally maintain a healthier lifestyle.
How do returns, exchanges, or canceling an order work with HSA or FSA?
If you are unsatisfied with your purchase from molekule.com for any reason, you have 30 days from the date of shipment to request a full refund on your product excluding any expedited shipping charges. You can read the full policy and terms here.
HSA and FSA Eligibility of the Molekule Air Purifier:
Molekule is eligible for purchase with a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) if you have a Letter of Medical Necessity. You can use your HSA or FSA card to purchase or pay for it out-of-pocket and be reimbursed.
Most people think more about outdoor air quality than the air inside their home. That makes sense given the rise in wildfires, dust storms, or inversion in some places.
But consider this: we spend up to 90% of our time indoors!
Mold, allergens, chemicals and VOCs, smoke, and other airborne particulates are commonplace and can cause a range of health issues, such as respiratory and heart disease, reduced cognitive function, and even contribute to cancer.
Luckily, air purifiers are a great way to remove contaminants leading to a healthier and more comfortable living environment — especially for kids and the elderly. That’s why Molekule came to be and the reason they are so passionate about addressing the negative effects of polluted air.
Read on to learn how to improve your indoor air quality with Molekule air purifiers and how to save money by buying with your HSA or FSA.
What is a Molekule Air Purifier?
Parents will go to great lengths to protect their children — like inventing a new technology.
Growing up in the 1990s, Dilip Goswami suffered from severe asthma and no home air purifiers at the time seemed to help. So his father, Dr. Yogi Goswami, who was researching solar energy at the time, put his PhD in mechanical engineering towards creating a better air filtration device using photoelectrochemical oxidation (PECO) and nanotechnology to eliminate indoor pollutants on a molecular level. The new tech worked, helping to reduce his son’s asthma triggers.
Years later, Dr. Goswami’s children, Dilip and Jaya, commercialized their father’s invention as Molekule, winning numerous awards, like Time’s Top 25 Inventions of 2017, Edison’s Best New Products, and Allure’s Best of Beauty, along the way.
Benefits of an Air Purifier
Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental health risks according to the World Health Organization (WHO), however, air purifiers play a vital role in addressing common health issues related to airborne allergens, pollutants, and irritants. Here are a few:
Asthma in children: Epidemiologic studies indicate that indoor air pollution is correlated with morbidity caused by allergic diseases. For this study, asthmatic children had air purifiers installed in their living rooms and bedrooms for a 12-week study. At the end, the active group showed significant improvement in nasal symptoms for allergic rhinitis.
For pet lovers: In this study, adult asthmatics who are affected by pet dander, yet lived with an indoor cat or dog (because: furry friends!), had HEPA air cleaners installed in their living room and bedroom for 12 months. Compared with a group using vacuum cleaners alone, they had significant improvement in “combined asthma outcome.”
Air quality affects blood pressure: Indoor air quality is known to adversely affect cardiorespiratory health. Lastly, in this study, air filters were used in homes where smoking was prevalent and found a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and may have contributed to improved lung function too.
How does a Molekule Air Purifier work?
Molekule offers two products, the Air Mini+ (designed for rooms up to 250 square feet) and Air Pro (for spaces up to 1,000 sq ft).
Both devices use their patented PECO technology and a true HEPA 99.97% particle-capture efficiency rate to capture and destroy pollutants — including viruses, bacteria, mold, allergens, VOCs, and more — in personal spaces like bedrooms and offices. There is also carbon filtration to reduce odors and toxic gasses.
What Is PECO?
PECO is short for photoelectrochemical oxidation. Unlike industry-standard High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters which capture particles using mechanical filtration, PECO destroys organic pollutants that HEPA leaves behind
In addition to mechanical filtration, PECO filters are coated in a catalyst that reacts to UV light (from an internal source) releasing free radicals that oxidize gaseous pollutants and breaks them down at a molecular level, making them harmless.
Can You Buy a Molekule Air Purifier With Your HSA or FSA?
Yes, Molekule’s air purifiers are available to buy with your HSA or FSA. This includes their Air Mini+, Air Pro, and replacement filters (which are recommended to be changed every 6 months for the Pro and every 3 months for the Mini+).
How to buy Molekule air purifiers with your HSA/FSA
Note that Molekule requires a Letter of Medical Necessity (we explain what this is below) to purchase. You can obtain a LOMN during the checkout process. Here is how it works:
From the Molekule checkout page, select “Flex | Pay with HSA/FSA” as your checkout option.*
At checkout, Flex will prompt you to fill in a short health questionnaire to confirm your eligibility to pay with your HSA/FSA.
From there, enter your HSA/FSA card details and complete your checkout as usual. If you don’t have an HSA/FSA card, you can complete the checkout with a regular credit or debit card, and Flex will provide you with an itemized receipt to submit for reimbursement.
*Note: At this time, the Flex payment option is unavailable for subscriptions, so please select ‘No thanks’ when prompted to sign up for filter auto-refill subscriptions.
How do you qualify to use your HSA or FSA Molekule air purifiers?
Remember, in order to qualify to buy an air purifier with your HSA or FSA, the device must be “prescribed” by your doctor (in the form of a Letter of Medical Necessity) to address a specific medical condition that improved air quality could benefit.
These might include:
Asthma
Allergies
Chronic Bronchitis
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Cystic Fibrosis
Emphysema
Environmental Allergies
Heart Disease
Immune System Disorders
Lung Cancer
Mold Exposure
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Pregnancy
Pulmonary Fibrosis
Post-surgery Recovery
Respiratory Infections
Sinusitis
Sleep Apnea
Smoking and Secondhand Smoke Exposure
Quick Overview of HSAs & FSAs
As a quick refresher, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are tax-advantaged financial accounts set up exclusively for health-related expenses. You can think of them a bit like supplemental coverage to help pay for healthcare expenses not covered by your health insurance — and they are great tools for managing healthcare costs.
HSAs and FSAs are designed to be used for qualified medical expenses which the IRS stipulates “must be primarily to alleviate or prevent a physical or mental disability or illness” and includes costs associated with diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention. In Publication 502 (the link above) you will find a comprehensive list of approved items.
However, you can also pay for items that aren’t pre-approved if you receive a Letter of Medical Necessity from a healthcare professional.
What Is a Letter of Medical Necessity?
Simply, a Letter of Medical Necessity (LOMN) is like a doctor’s note that allows doctors to make determinations on behalf of patients, to qualify certain purchases for HSA or FSA spending. The LOMN must outline why a specific purchase is medically necessary for an individual and how it addresses a specific condition (some of which are mentioned above).
Why You Should Take Advantage of HSAs or FSAs to Buy a Molekule Air Purifier
There are a few reasons you want to consider using your HSA or FSA to buy a Molekule Air Purifier:
Tax savings: Because HSAs and FSAs are tax-advantaged financial accounts, you can put money away for medical fees while also reducing your taxable income. Specficially, contributions are pre-tax and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are tax-free, which means you can save 30-40% on purchases because of tax savings.
FSAs are Use It or Lose It: One major difference between FSAs and HSAs is that most FSA funds that are not used by the end of the plan year are forfeited. There is the potential for a grace period or a limited rollover option, but in the end, you will either need to use your funds or lose them.
Be proactive about your health: Think of your HSA or FSA as letting you take control of your health because you can choose to invest in preventative or mitigating products or services not typically covered by your health insurance. This approach can help to detect problems early, reduce the risk of disease, and generally maintain a healthier lifestyle.
How do returns, exchanges, or canceling an order work with HSA or FSA?
If you are unsatisfied with your purchase from molekule.com for any reason, you have 30 days from the date of shipment to request a full refund on your product excluding any expedited shipping charges. You can read the full policy and terms here.
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.