Can I Use My HSA to Pay for Dental Needs?
You want to take care of your teeth, but you also want to make your money stretch as far as possible. That’s why we offer payment plans to suit different budgets. But did you know you can also use your HSA (health savings account) or FSA (flexible spending account) to pay for your dental needs—including braces?
Not sure how it works? Don’t worry. We’ve got all the information you need to help you use your HSA or FSA for your family’s dental needs.
HSAs, FSAs, and Orthodontics:
If you’re not familiar with an HSA or FSA, these are savings plans available to people who enroll in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP). You can’t use an FSA with other health plans, and you sign up for the HDHP with your employer during open enrollment, so check with your benefits administrator to see what your options are. If you go the HDHP route, the contributions you make to the HSA are taken out of your paycheck before taxes, which means you’ll pay less in taxes on that money. Then when you need the money, you can use it for approved medical expenses. And it most cases, that means dental work, including braces.
How to Use an FSA for Braces and Other Dental Needs:
Once you’ve set up your FSA or HSA and have start putting money away each month, here are three steps to make those dollars pay for your dental work:
Come in for a consultation. Just set up a time to visit and talk about your concerns. We can even do an initial consultation online, so that’s an option if you’re super busy or if you’re unable to come into the office.
Once we’ve done an evaluation of your dental needs, whether braces, crowns, root canals, or other procedures, we will give you a quote of the total cost of the orthodontic portion of treatment. We will also give you a length of time you will have to pay for the treatment. With braces, including Invisalign, you can make monthly payments, and we even have a payment calculator online to help you figure that amount.
Choose your payment approach. When you sign up for an HSA, you’ll probably receive a debit card (or paper checks in a small number of health plans). You can use the debit card or checks to pay for your dental needs each month. Some HSA accounts allow you to pay for medical and dental bills online, so that’s an option as well.
If you haven’t saved enough money in your HSA or FSA, you can designate part of that money for your dental needs and pay the rest of the cost out of pocket. The good news is that you can use health savings contributions from year to year to pay the balance. As long as you keep money in the account, you can keep making payments, as long as it’s in the same calendar year as the treatment.
One more thing: If you have money in your FSA or HSA to pay for braces upfront at the beginning of treatment, we offer a discounts on treatment paid in full. So keep that in mind, too!
Keep track of paperwork. The IRS is a stickler on following its rules, so make sure you keep a copy of all the paperwork associated with any dental work done using an HSA or FSA. This is super important in case you get audited.
Also keep track of paperwork regarding our agreement for payment. That way, there’s no question about how much your paying and why.
Using FSAs and HSAs for Adult Dental Needs:
One question we get asked often is whether you can use an FSA or HSA for your own dental needs or if it only applies to kids. If your braces or other dental work is considered necessary for your health and well-being, usually it is in some component, you can use the savings account for your braces as well as your kids. On the other hand, cosmetic dental procedures like teeth whitening or veneers are not covered.
We know your dental needs are important, and we want to help you maximize your HSA and FSA dollars. Give us a call today or go online and sign up for a virtual consultation. You can be on your way to a better smile in no time!