CARES Act expands HSA eligible expenses

[rural]

Just got this email from my HSA provider.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law March 27, 2020, contains important updates on the use of health savings accounts (HSAs), flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health reimbursement accounts (HRAs).
As a valued Optum Bank account holder with one or more of these health account types, we wanted to inform you of the below changes that expand qualified medical expenses and access to remote care:
• Telehealth services
• High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) with an HSA may* provide pre-deductible coverage for telehealth and other remote care services. This provision will last until December 31, 2021 (plan year must begin prior to this date).
• Certain over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and medications as qualified medical expenses
• The CARES Act restores the ability to use HSAs, FSAs and HRAs to purchase certain OTC drugs and medications, like aspirin and other pain medications, allergy medication, etc., without a doctor’s prescription.

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• For the first time, menstrual care products are considered qualified medical expenses for payment or reimbursement with an HSA, FSA or HRA.
• Both provisions for OTC and menstrual products apply to amounts paid or expenses incurred on or after January 1, 2020, and are ongoing without an expiration date*.
Important note for FSAs and HRAs:
You can use your account funds to purchase these products starting today. However, you may attempt to purchase OTC drugs and medications or menstrual care products with your Optum Bank payment Mastercard®and be unable to. This is because individual merchants, like pharmacies and convenience stores, must update their point of sale (POS) system to now recognize these products as qualified medical expenses for FSA and HRA.
Use your payment card as you normally would for these purchases, and if the sale will not process, you can pay out of pocket with the option to reimburse yourself with account funds. As a reminder, keep your itemized receipt or explanations of benefits, which are needed to verify each purchase so you can be reimbursed.

[rural]

Upshot: some (unspecified) OTC meds are once more qualifying expenses, and for the first time evah, so are menstrual supplies.
Also telehealth can be covered without deductible until 2021, but insurance companies don’t have to do that.

[Illathrael]

@rural

For the first time, menstrual care products are considered qualified medical expenses for payment or reimbursement with an HSA, FSA or HRA.

About doggam time.

[rural]

Ya know, right? It isn’t like they wanted women to just go without.