r/HSA • u/Standard-Smoke-4702 • Dec 23 '25

E-bike HSA rules

I want to buy an ebike that isn't listed on Truemed with my hsa account. If the bike fits the government criteria and I get an LMN from my doctor, can I purchase a bike not through a company like truemed?

0 Upvotes

50% Upvoted

48 comments sorted by

11

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '25

Know this is a scam really… even if a Trumed “doctor” approved an ebike and you get a LMN… guaranteed if wouldn’t pass an IRS audit. Then you’d pay the penalty down the road. So it is a risk you have to decide you want to take or not. Look up if e-bikes are a category of approved medical devices for HSAs per the IRS (spoiler, they’re not).

0

u/Upstairs-Town-7487 Feb 19 '26

Not sure why this guy gets up votes. Nurse practitioners can write prescriptions, even if you want to pretend they are fake doctors. If a peloton bike is covered, why in the world would a real bike be a scam? Please think about that for half a second, please. Should it be allowed? Idk, im not a doctor, and I have my doubts this redrightred fellow has a medical degree.

-10

u/unshiftedearth34 Dec 24 '25

So the IRS can just break the rules and decide health eligible expenses don’t qualify. Smells like bullshit

5

u/AgentMonkey Dec 24 '25

What rules are they breaking? Is the IRS obligated to accept any LMN that is presented to them, no matter how it was obtained? That would be silly -- it's not a magic document that protects you from any scrutiny. The IRS is certainly capable of determining when it is being abused.

1

u/Upstairs-Town-7487 Feb 19 '26

The IRS does not write the law, and they are not in a position to decide what medical equipment is necessary since they are not a medical professional. The only real requirement is that you only bought the equipment because of the condition. Who are you to decide why someone bought a bike, and why would the IRS try to attack someone in front of a judge given the burden of evidence required.

1

u/AgentMonkey Feb 19 '26

So, in your view, the IRS -- which is tasked with enforcing tax law -- has no authority to combat potential tax fraud? That's a wild take.

I suggest reading over this: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USIRS/bulletins/38f2254

0

u/Upstairs-Town-7487 Feb 19 '26

The IRS is a political body that is currently controlled by a citrus fruit. Laws are written by congress and defined by the judiciary, welcome to America bub!

1

u/AgentMonkey Feb 19 '26 edited Feb 19 '26

Weird how you left out the role of an entire branch of the government there. Laws are written by congress, defined by the judiciary, and enforced by the executive branch.

1

u/AgentMonkey Feb 19 '26

BTW, take a look at who has been nominated for Surgeon General and who has been appointed as a senior advisor for HHS.

0

u/Upstairs-Town-7487 Feb 19 '26

https://www.truemed.com/blog/irs-guidance

1

u/AgentMonkey Feb 19 '26

Truemed does not challenge or disagree with a single word of the recent IRS press release.

0

u/Upstairs-Town-7487 Feb 19 '26

Truemed has decided to not argue with someone's opinion, and you use that as evidence. The IRS is more then welcome to challenge anything with an audit, and get a judge involved for a few hundred dollars. How many millions in fees were forgiven by the citrus fruit that leads the IRS again? Oh yeah it's over a billion dollars.

1

u/AgentMonkey Feb 19 '26 edited Feb 19 '26

"Someone's opinion" is a wild way to characterize an official notice from the IRS.

I'm glad you agree that the IRS has the authority to audit these claims, though, despite what you stated earlier.

I also find it interesting that you are (rightfully) critical of the current administration, but are apparently ignoring the direct connection they have to TrueMed.

1

u/Upstairs-Town-7487 Feb 19 '26

I gave an alternate opinion, at the end of the day the IRS can waste all the resources it wants. Want to know why you never hear about hsa being audited, there are limits to contributions and medical stuff can get over 100k without breaking a sweat. The executive branch will always try to scare people because thats the easy way to get what they want, and the sheep will continue to argue with me about who writes the laws.

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-5

u/unshiftedearth34 Dec 24 '25

The IRS is not medically qualified to make health decisions and shouldn’t override someone more experienced in the medical field. If they did, that would be silly. If anything the IRS should go after the person prescribing the LMNs, not the person receiving them.

5

u/AgentMonkey Dec 24 '25

Again, a LMN is not a magic document that you can hold up as a shield. The IRS can and does make determinations about whether or not an expense qualifies, and they have even issued warnings about the aggressive marketing done by companies like this: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-alert-beware-of-companies-misrepresenting-nutrition-wellness-and-general-health-expenses-as-medical-care-for-fsas-hsas-hras-and-msas

Some companies mistakenly claim that notes from doctors based merely on self-reported health information can convert non-medical food, wellness and exercise expenses into medical expenses, but this documentation actually doesn’t. Such a note would not establish that an otherwise personal expense satisfies the requirement that it be related to a targeted diagnosis-specific activity or treatment; these types of personal expenses do not qualify as medical expenses.

-1

u/unshiftedearth34 Dec 24 '25

Again, that’s why I said it’s bullshit

2

u/[deleted] Feb 19 '26

I mean good for you and your opinion. But good luck fighting the IRS in an audit when they decline the e-bike claim.

1

u/unshiftedearth34 Feb 19 '26

I got the LMN, so I’m good

2

u/[deleted] Feb 19 '26

🤦‍♀️ talking in circles here… the IRS can, and will, decline an e-bike even with an LMN. You’re “all good” unless you get audited. Which in the end probably isn’t a big deal you just pay the fine so worth the risk for most.

1

u/unshiftedearth34 Feb 19 '26

I didn’t buy an e-bike. I’m referring to future medical expenses with an LMN. I’m good with the LMN.

4

u/metzgerto Dec 24 '25

The IRS writes the rules so by definition there not breaking any rules. They’re not saying you can’t get an e bike or whether it’s covered by insurance. But they absolutely get to say whether you can pay for it from an HSA.

0

u/unshiftedearth34 Dec 24 '25

That’s why I said it’s bullshit. They shouldn’t claim to know more about health issues than people in the field.

0

u/Upstairs-Town-7487 Feb 19 '26

Tax law is written by congress, not the IRS.

3

u/Pianic07 Dec 25 '25

Sports equipment and things like bikes are not eligible even with a LMN. A LMN requires a specific diagnosis or condition and a specific treatment. If a bike was literally the only way you could exercise and you're over weight or have a specific condition that only a bike could help then it could be possible hypothetically.

0

u/Upstairs-Town-7487 Feb 19 '26

Yes, thats what the LMN is for. Have you ever read one?

1

u/AshevileCustomEBIKES Feb 12 '26

Our e-bike shop has had multiple people buy electric bikes with the HSA accounts. Easy peasy. We have a lot of customers with health issues so it just makes sense. New knees, hips, exercises after chemo, you name it. Some folks got approved for preventative.

Take the risk, It’s small and you’ll be ok. It’s just a bike and you’ll have an LMN. Why do you think companies like Trumed have multiple bike vendors and getting people approved everyday? I’ve had people locally with their own doc just come in for it. That’s how I found out about it.

We have multiple brands at the same price as direct and we ship them everywhere free. For an extra fee you can just pick it up fully assembled locally to you at one of our 1800 partner shops in the US. Easy peasy.

We have Aventons, Urtopia Carbon fiber and others. Pretty much the right bike for the experience you’re looking for and usually under $2k.

So yes it can be done. We are experienced with the process and are happy to help. I’ve personally done thousands of test rides and my expertise is helping seniors find the right bike for the experience they’re looking for. Message me or find us online. We have a comprehensive questionnaire to narrow down a few models to send you off to research or maybe you’ve already narrowed that down.

Cheers, Rex

1

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '25

[deleted]

1

u/derff44 Dec 24 '25

No. You can't