Medicines Purchased from Other Countries: FSA Eligibility

What are medicines purchased from other countries?

A prescribed drug that was brought in (or ordered shipped) from another country generally can't be considered eligible for reimbursement with a consumer-directed healthcare account. However, a drug that was imported legally may be considered eligible. For example, a prescribed drug that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announces can be legally imported by individuals would be considered eligible. Additionally, a prescribed drug that is purchased and consumed in another country, if the drug is legal in both the other country and the United States, is also considered eligible.

What about other medical care in a foreign country?

Expenses incurred in a foreign country by a qualifying account holder or dependent would be eligible in accordance with the same rules that apply to care received in the U.S. These expenses might include dental, vision, and preventative care. The medical care received in a foreign country must be considered legal in the foreign country in which it was administered, and it must be considered legal in the United States in order to be eligible for reimbursement with a consumer-directed healthcare account.

Examples of medical care received in a foreign country that would be eligible for reimbursement with a consumer-directed healthcare account include doctor's visits, treatment for illnesses or diseases, emergency procedures, surgeries, etc. These types of medical care must be the same type as what would be considered eligible and legal in the United States in order to be reimbursed with a consumer-directed healthcare account.

Medical care that includes prescription medications may also be eligible for reimbursement with a consumer-directed healthcare account, so long as the medication is consumed while in the foreign country, is legal in the foreign and in the United States, and is not imported into the United States. Medications used in this capacity, as part of medical care received in a foreign country, can be reimbursed in the same way as the actual medical care or doctor's visit expense (Forbes).