I Had No Idea My HSA Could Pay for All This — Here’s What I Found

Like most people, I thought our HSA was basically a spending account for doctor visits and prescriptions.

That's exactly how we used it for years — copays, dental cleanings, eye exams. Contributing each paycheck, keeping the balance healthy, and feeling like we had it covered.

We were using it correctly. We just had no idea how much more it could do.

Once we understood the full tax advantage available, it changed the way we use our account and has saved us hundreds of dollars.

How our HSA journey started

In early 2026, my husband and I decided to get serious about our health. Not in a vague New Year's resolution kind of way — in a real data, real answers kind of way.

We signed up for Function Health and Superpower. If you're not familiar, these two companies offer advanced lab testing services that go well beyond your standard annual physical — we're talking 100+ biomarkers covering everything from hormones and inflammation to nutrient deficiencies and cardiovascular markers.

The results were eye-opening. Our advanced labs revealed underlying health concerns that our regular annual checkups had never flagged. Real numbers have a way of motivating you.

With that data in hand, we got serious about our supplements, fitness, weight, and what we were putting into our bodies. We started making purchases with intention rather than guesswork.

What we didn't realize yet was that most of those purchases could be paid for with money we'd already set aside.

What we discovered

With new health goals came new recommendations — fitness items and supplements tailored to our actual lab results. That led to researching the best products and brands.

While researching, I stumbled upon Truemed.

And what I found stopped me mid-scroll.

Suddenly, I was looking at a list of HSA-eligible items I never knew existed. Not just prescriptions. Not just doctor visits.

The more I read, the more I couldn't believe what I'd been missing. Smart watches — HSA eligible. Smart scale — HSA eligible. The supplements our labs pointed us toward — HSA eligible. The Supergoop! sunscreen sitting on my bathroom counter — HSA eligible.

I sat there doing the math. Paying with pre-tax HSA dollars instead of post-tax income provided significant savings. Of course, HSA funds can also be invested — and we do that, too.

What is an HSA and why it matters more than you think

Before we go on, here is a quick overview for anyone who isn't fully familiar with how Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) work.

An HSA is a tax-advantaged account available to people enrolled in a qualifying high-deductible health plan.

Here's what makes it uniquely powerful:

The triple tax advantage:

• Contributions go in pre-tax — lowering your taxable income

• Money can be invested and grows tax-free while it sits in the account

• Withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are completely tax-free

No other account does all three. Not a 401k. Not an IRA. Not a Roth. The HSA is the only true triple-tax-advantage account available to everyday people.

What do you use an HSA for? HSA funds can be used for qualified medical expenses. The IRS defines a qualified medical expense as anything that diagnoses, treats, mitigates, or prevents a physical or mental condition. That definition is broader than most people realize — and it gets even broader when you add something called a Letter of Medical Necessity.

What is a Letter of Medical Necessity? An LMN is a document issued by a licensed healthcare provider that links a specific product to a documented medical need. With an LMN on file, a purchase that wouldn't normally qualify — such as certain supplements, wearables, or fitness equipment — becomes a qualified medical expense eligible for HSA reimbursement. Read more here.

There are actually two paths to getting a Letter of Medical Necessity. We've used both.

Path 1 — Your own primary care doctor or licensed healthcare provider: Your regular physician or a licensed healthcare provider can write an LMN directly based on your health history. This is how we got coverage for my husband's smartwatch. Our doctor documented the medical need based on his health history and wrote the letter directly.

Path 2 — Through telehealth providers:  Companies such as Truemed, Flex, and Burst can provide a Letter of Medical Necessity. We've used Truemed for multiple items. Learn more about Truemed here.

If you are wondering what is HSA eligible and what requires an LMN, read our full post here.

What we've actually used our HSA for in 2026

Once we understood exactly what was covered by our HSA, we started using it immediately. Here's what we've qualified for so far:

Automatically HSA eligible — no LMN needed:

• Labs through Function Health and Superpower

• Our Withings smart scale

• Sunscreen — yes, really. SPF 15 or higher qualifies automatically under IRS rules

• Feminine products

• Reading glasses

• Medications

Through our primary care doctor with a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN):

• My husband's Samsung smartwatch — purchased at Best Buy with a Letter of Medical Necessity from our primary care doctor. The stated reason was to help him manage his weight, overall fitness, and sleep through fitness and heart health tracking. He does have some slightly elevated health issues that made the watch medically eligible versus just normal health tracking.

Through Truemed with a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN):

• Thorne iron supplements — backed by documented lab deficiency and family history

• Thorne omega-3 — backed by cardiovascular markers from labs and family history

• Designs for Health Ubiquinol — backed by cardiovascular markers from labs and family history

Then we stacked cashback on top

Separate from using our HSA, we added another layer — Capital One Shopping. A completely free browser extension that automatically finds cashback offers when you shop online.

On our Supergoop! sunscreen — which qualified automatically for HSA reimbursement — we also received 40% cashback offer through Capital One Shopping.

Pre-tax HSA savings plus 40% cashback on a premium product we were buying anyway.

This year, Capital One Shopping alone has saved us $1,500. On top of HSA savings. On purchases we were already making.

Stacking offers incredible savings. Here is the link for Capital One Shopping if you are interested in checking it out: Capital One Shopping

The investment strategy

So far, we have talked about using your HSA for eligible items, but there is another powerful alternative.

Instead of spending your HSA dollars on eligible items today, you can treat it as a long-term investment account. Many HSA providers allow you to invest your balance in funds once you reach a minimum threshold.

This lets your money grow tax-free over time. You can pay for medical expenses out of pocket now, save your receipts, and reimburse yourself later—potentially years down the road—while your HSA continues to compound.

Conclusion

HSAs are marketed as healthcare accounts. Technically, that's what they are.

But healthcare covers far more ground than most people realize — especially when you're taking a proactive approach to your health rather than just reacting to illness.

The IRS definition of a qualified medical expense — anything that diagnoses, treats, mitigates, or prevents a physical or mental condition — opens up a surprisingly wide range of products, provided proper documentation is available.

You don't need to be sick to benefit. You just need to be someone who takes their health seriously and knows the system exists.

We didn't know. Now we do. Now, we are building an entire site to help you save with HSA accounts, cash back rewards, smart shopping, and so much more.

Ready to learn more? Check out all our articles here.

To smarter savings,

The Team at Saving Wiser

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical, tax, or financial advice. HSA eligibility depends on IRS rules. For questions, consult a qualified professional.