Hearing Aid Batteries: FSA Eligibility

Hearing Aid Batteries: eligible with a Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Hearing aid batteries are eligible for reimbursement with a flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA) and health reimbursement arrangement (HRA). Hearing aid batteries are not eligible for reimbursement with a limited-purpose flexible spending account (LPFSA) or a dependent care flexible spending account (DCFSA).

What are the common hearing aid battery types?

Hearing Aid batteries, as well as batteries used to power other medical devices specifically, are the only types of batteries covered by a consumer-directed healthcare accounts, as they have a specific medical purpose in powering personal hearing devices to alleviate the symptoms of a medical condition. There are a number of hearing aid battery styles on the market, but the most common variant is the zinc-air battery.

Zinc-air batteries are the most common power sources for handheld electronics, as they offer three times the energy of a common alkaline battery in an extremely compact package. Unlike standard batteries that create electrical power by chemical reactions within a self-contained unit, zinc-air batteries rely on oxygen as a main reactant which creates power by interacting with zinc gels. Using a reactant from the air allows the size and weight of the battery to be markedly reduced, making it an ideal design for hearing aid batteries. However, because constant air flow can dry out these power cells or flood them with moisture in more humid weather, they can have a shorter shelf life than traditional batteries.

What are the most common zinc-air battery types?

All zinc-air batteries come with a factory-sealed sticker that allows them to stay inactive until it they're removed. Once this sticker is removed, oxygen will be allowed to enter the inner cell of the battery, and within about a minute, this will "turn on" the battery. However, putting the sticker back on the battery will not deactivate the battery, so as soon as the sticker is removed, the battery will remain active until its power has been exhausted. These batteries can be stored for up to 3 years in a dry environment at room temperature. The most common zinc-air batteries include via Healthy Hearing:

Size

Color Code

Dimensions

Average Lifespan

675

Blue

11.6 mm x 5.4 mm

9-20 days

13

Orange

7.9 mm x 5.4 mm

6-14 days

312

Brown

7.9 mm x 3.6 mm

3-10 days

10

Yellow

5.8 mm x 3.6 mm

3-7 days

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