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A flexible spending account (or FSA) is a benefit many companies offer that involves putting tax-free money aside so you can use it on medical expenses over the course of the year. When you begin a new job or during open enrollment — a period of time that usually falls in November and early December when you have the chance to change your benefit elections for the upcoming year— you can decide how much you want to put into that account for the next year. You then have to use all that money before the end of that calendar year. Many FSA programs offer a grace period, allowing you to spend up until March 15 of the following year. After that, those funds return to your employer. As for what you can use your FSA on, what is considered a “medical expense” is fairly broad. You can use it on things like insurance deductibles, prescription copayments, certain treatments and on a variety of health-related items — like glasses, acne face washes and even massage guns. If you participate in a FSA, it’s a good time to see how much money you have in your account and start using it. To help, I gathered a list of FSA-eligible products that you can currently purchase on Amazon. The best FSA-eligible items on Amazon You can purchase FSA-eligible products in many places — including local pharmacies and big box retailers like Target and Walmart. Amazon has an FSA store that makes it easy to see what is covered. Plus, Prime members get fast, free shipping on many products. Below, I rounded up a variety of FSA-eligible products available on Amazon. Everything on this list has either been recommended by experts in previous stories, comes highly recommended by NBC Select editors or has at least a 4-star average rating from at least hundreds of reviews on Amazon. If you have a large amount of money left in your FSA account, consider splurging on a massage gun. Experts have previously recommended this one from Theragun, saying that it’s quiet and the built-in five speeds allows for a more customized massage. You can also download the Therabody app, which you can pair with Apple Health and Google Fit and recommends guided wellness routines based on your behaviors. Another item worth considering if you have a good deal of money left in your FSA, the Oura Ring 4 helps you track sleep, exercise, activity and other health-related stats. You can pair it with an app that can show you trends and help you track toward goals. It has an eight day battery life and is made fully from titanium. NBC Select tech reporter Harry Rabinowitz says the ring is comfortable and finds the sleep and health tracking to be particularly helpful. This NBC Select Wellness Award winner has 0.1% adapalene, an over-the-counter retinoid that’s frequently used to treat acne because it can reduce inflammation and clean pores, according to the brand. Experts also recommended it in our guide to treating acne scars. NBC Select editorial director Lauren Swanson says it’s gentle on her reactive skin while still being effective. Experts recommended this salicylic acid cleanser in our guide to the best products for acne-prone skin. It has LHA (lipohydroxy acid), which dermatologists told us is gentle on the skin. The formula’s also free of oils, fragrances and parabens, making it a good choice for those with sensitive skin, according to the brand. These pimple patches are made from hydrocolloid gel, which experts have previously told us can draw out oil and bacteria from pimples. “I like that these are a little more translucent than other patches I’ve tried because they blend well with my skin tone and don’t scream ‘hey I’ve got a pimple,’” says NBC Select’s editorial projects manager Rebecca Rodriguez. This balm was included in our guide to the best SPF lip balms. It’s made with zinc oxide, which is a compound that physically blocks the sun’s rays and prevents them from penetrating your skin, according to previous reporting I’ve done. In addition to offering UV protection, it has sweet almond oil to hydrate skin as you wear it, according to the brand. NBC Select updates editor Mili Godio deals with bad rosacea and says this face sunscreen is her go-to. “Many skin care products I try leave my skin looking red and create a burning feeling,” she says. “This is the only sunscreen I’ve ever tried that doesn’t irritate my skin at all.” The oil- and fragrance-free formula is non comedogenic and has niacinamide to soothe skin, according to the brand. You can use this antibiotic ointment on scrapes and cuts to help prevent bacterial infection. Experts have told us you can also use it to treat blisters for the same reason. The formula has bacitracin zinc, neomycin sulfate and polymyxin to prevent skin infections, according to the brand. After cleaning a wound, you can apply it before putting a bandage on. Podiatrists recommended these toe separators to ease the pressure caused from a bunion by straightening the big toe. This toe separator is made of a comfortable flexible gel and is washable and reusable, according to the brand. In our guide on how to clean your ears, experts warned us about being careful not to try and dig wax out of your canals because it can be damaging. These drops have cerumenolytic agents, which help soften and loosen excess earwax so it comes out more easily, according to the brands. Cervical traction — devices that help stretch the neck — can ease neck pain, according to experts we have spoken to previously. They recommended this cervical neck traction device since it can be good for different pain levels. It inflates to gently stretch and straighten your neck, is made from fleece that’s soft on the skin and you can easily adjust the tightness of it when you put it on by using the velcro straps. You can use this antifungal cream twice daily for a week to help eliminate athlete’s foot. The main ingredient is Terbinafine Hydrochloride, which targets and kills fungus, according to the brand. Apply it to clean feet and only use on infected areas. You can use heating pads for a variety of things, including soothing sore backs, menstrual cramps and more. I have this heating pad and like it because I can use it on larger areas, like my upper back and shoulders. I also appreciate that it has a 9-foot cord, making it easy to use in bed or when I’m on the couch — even if an outlet is not super close. It also has a two-hour auto shut off, and a slide-button controller with three heat settings. NBC Select reporter Zoe Malin keeps these nasal strips at home because she suffers from allergies, which can cause congestion and lead to snoring. They work by opening up nasal passageways for easier breathing. “The nasal strips come in a pack of 26 and their adhesive has never irritated my sensitive skin,” she says. “I find that they usually stay in place overnight, too.” I’ve been wearing contact lenses for nearly 25 years and this has been my go-to solution for at least a decade. I find it to be gentle on my eyes and I don’t need more than a drop or two to moisturize my eyes after I’ve been wearing my contacts all day. This saline solution is hydrating and can also clean your contacts if they get smudged or dirty. The box comes with two 12-ounce bottles of solution and a plastic lens case. Keep this 80-piece first-aid kit in your medicine cabinet or in the trunk of your car. It comes with everything you might need for minor wounds: like bandages, Neosporin, Tylenol and gauze. Everything is contained within an easy-to-carry, organized case. You can hold this no-touch thermometer away from the forehead and will still give an accurate reading. I’ve used it with my 4-year-old and find it to be quick and easy to use. My daughter even likes to help by taking her own temperature. Not only does the digital screen give you the exact temperature, it glows green if there is no fever, yellow if there is a mild fever and red if there is a moderate or high fever. You can also use your remaining FSA funds to stock up on allergy relief meds like Zyrtec, in case seasonal allergies attack. The bottle has 30 pills and you get three travel packets that each have one pill. The main active ingredient in these antihistamine tablets is cetirizine hydrochloride, which can treat indoor allergies caused by dust, mold, and pet dander, and outdoor seasonal allergies caused by tree pollen, weeds, and grasses, according to the brand. An at-home monitor can help you keep an eye on your numbers if you have concerns around your blood pressure. This one comes with a cuff that fits standard to large adult arms and it syncs with an app so you can store all your readings in one place. The backlit display shows your systolic and diastolic numbers in large font, making it easy to read from far away or if you have less than perfect eyesight. Electrolyte mixes can rehydrate you on a hot day, after a workout or anytime you’re feeling a bit dehydrated. This mix has both electrolytes and glucose to hydrate you quickly, according to the brand. Each box has 14 single-use packets — you can mix one packet with as much as 16 ounces of water. It is available in eight flavors, including watermelon, lemonade and tropical punch. The Wyze Scale X earned a spot on our list of the best smart scales because it is affordable and has all the features — like muscle and bone mass metrics and compatibility with popular health apps like Apple Health — one should look for in this type of device. The digital screen shows one metric at a time in white text and pairs with an app that can show you trend charts. The battery life is up to 22 months with four disposable AAA batteries. Why trust NBC Select? Bethany Heitman is a contributor at NBC Select and a journalist who regularly covers beauty, home and lifestyle. For this story, I rounded up FSA-eligible items that are recommended by experts and NBC Select staffers.
