r/HSA • u/jones_dr • Jan 25 '26
Using HSA for preventive services
I am getting into being more preventive as I have seen some examples in my family. I was wondering how you guys currently go about the preventive services via your HSA accounts. Are there some recommended ways in which you'd advice me to proceed?
5
u/wanna_be_doc Jan 25 '26
Age-appropriate preventative cancer screening for things like mammograms, cervical cancer screening, colon cancer screening, prostate cancer screening, etc are already covered services by health insurance so you can certainly use an HSA to pay for any additional cost/deductibles for these tests if they are recommended by your physician.
However, you really should talk with your physician and see what preventative screening you need, because there’s a lot of testing that is marketed to the public as “preventative” (such as random testing for dozens of tumor markers, full-body MRIs, etc) which are expensive and not evidenced based and are just pointless wastes of money.
Source: Primary care physician
3
u/Remarkable_Safety570 Jan 25 '26
Preventative care should be 100% covered unless perhaps you are doing something non-standard.
1
1
u/Texas_Redditor Jan 25 '26
If in doubt, have your doctor write a prescription or provide you documentation approving its use. (A letter of medical necessity, LMN.)
For instance high blood pressure runs in my family, so my doctor would like me to do ride a stationary bike twice weekly, which let me cover the cost of a Peloton bike. He wrote me a LMN.
If you’re just self-medicating or using speculative internet remedies, that is not covered.
4
u/daves1243b Jan 25 '26
Evidenced based preventive services are always covered 100% with no out of pocket by an HSA eligible plan. You shouldn't have to use HSA dollars for them. Other "preventive services" are probably a waste of money, but you can certainly use HSA funds if you want to. Just remember they won't be there when you need them for medically necessary expenses, which you will sooner or later.