Diagnostic Products/Trackers: FSA Eligibility

What are diagnostic products?

Diagnostic products make up a diverse selection of medical products that are used to determine the presence of a disease or dysfunction in the body, or items that are used to monitor these medical issues over time. Diagnostic equipment is typically found in hospitals and doctors' offices in the form of x-ray machines, ultrasound and MRI machines, CT scanners and others, but many products that were once relegated to medical settings have home-based variants that patients can use to perform a wide range of functions related to their overall health (National Center for Biotechnology Information).

There are a multitude of at-home diagnostic products on the market that are used to better understand an individual's current state of health, many of which were doctor's office staples and have since made the transition to residential use. These products include equipment meant for recurring use, such as thermometers, stethoscopes, blood pressure monitors, peak flow meters, as well as at-home tests like HIV tests, urinalysis tests and more. The vast majority of these products are eligible for reimbursement through a flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA) or health reimbursement arrangement (HRA).

What are diagnostic trackers?

Certain health trackers primarily for diagnostic purposes, and which measure valuable vital signs (e.g., body temperature, blood pressure, respiration, glucose, heart rate, oxygen saturation, electrocardiogram), are generally eligible with a consumer-directed healthcare account. These include products such as Oura Ring, WHOOP Life Health & Activity Tracker, and Withings Scanwatch. Activity and lifestyle trackers that primarily measure general wellness factors (e.g. step trackers only), and/or include non-health related features are not eligible (phone, texts, calendar, GPS distance trackers, etc.)