Foreign Medical Care: FSA Eligibility

Drugs or medicines obtained from a foreign country such as Canada and brought back or shipped to the U.S. are not legal and therefore not eligible.

What is medical care received 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 (Internal Revenue Service).

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 country 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.