Monopoly Money? Use your FSA and HSA benefits for health coaching

What to know to maximize your FSA and HSA benefits for health coaching

I hear so many mothers stating that they sincerely want to prioritize their health, because they value being a healthy role model for their kids, or that they want to be fully present in their families' activities and daily lives for a long time.

But these goals and intentions can get delayed for weeks, months, even years, dependent on social roles, responsibilities, and situations that can complicate putting those thoughts into action - basically, life.

A mother delays getting in a run because she is the caretaker of young kids, has demanding work schedules, schedules appointments for her aging parents, and any free time she has is devoted to shouldering the emotional load, and maybe able to prioritize something such as sleep. She might get in a walk with friends every week or so, but other than that, she’s chasing the everyday tasks of life. Everything seems urgent. Before you know it, she’s in her late 30s, and her cholesterol is slowly creeping up. Does this kind of story sound familiar?

I have seen the impact of lifestyle behaviors on health outcomes in the past few years, coaching thousands of sessions for employees at large companies. Chronic disease, which is a classification of diseases that last a year or more, require ongoing medical monitoring and may impact your daily life in imposing a limitation of some sort.

So why am I mentioning chronic disease in my coaching of mothers?

Well, chronic disease can start well before signs show up. Chronic disease includes cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancers, and respiratory diseases. Six out of 10 Americans have a chronic disease, and many are preventable with lifestyle factors such as physical activity, alcohol and cigarette use, and nutrition intake. 

But as a Registered Dietitian and health and wellness coach, I know how the word "prevention" can seem unsexy and pretty much meaningless for someone who feels "well enough." We can't see into the future, so "reducing your risk" doesn't quite sound so urgent.

Coming back to my initial statement on how mothers are telling me they want to better manage their health, but can't prioritize it, this doesn't have to be the case. I can help you move the needle, so you don't have to "power through" this tough mothering season and delay your personal health needs. As a health and wellness coach, it is my job to help you navigate your health journey and create sustainable behavior change that is meaningful to you.

It is never too early to make healthy habit changes to increase the healthspan (years lived free of disease) of your life. Many chronic diseases are years in the making, and you can delay or prevent them right now. If you feel that your risk for chronic diseases are elevated, start having these conversations to develop a proactive plan, so that chronic disease doesn’t inhibit you from the vision you have in your life.

This is where health coaching can make a big impact.

About FSA and HSA benefits

For those of you with FSA (Flexible Spending Account) and HSA (Health Savings Account) benefits, health and wellness coaching may be a “qualified medical expense” if it is directed at the treatment or prevention of a disease. FSA and HSA allows you to put pre-tax dollars aside for qualified health-related expenses.

HSAs generally roll over and are associated with high-deductible health plans. FSAs are employer-distributed and there’s a general “use-it-or-lose-it” rule at the end of the year (you don’t want to “lose it,” in my opinion). 

---

What you can do to maximize your FSA/HSA benefits

• Meet with your provider and obtain a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN), detailing the plan of care for your chronic condition and how health and wellness coaching is part of the treatment or prevention plan

• Contact your benefits advisor, to go over specifics on what to account for, what information is required, and how to submit claims and receipts

It’s getting real close to that time of year where many of us will realize, “I have Monopoly money!” It definitely can feel like “free money,” but the FSA and HSA benefits you’ve elected into with your benefits administrator gives you tax advantages to offset healthcare costs. It'd be a good idea to pay attention to this, unless you like putting cash money into the garbage disposal (that would pain me to do so). Definitely keep an eye out for when they expire; you might be losing out on health-promoting benefits.

Health coaching is becoming increasingly recognized as an integral part of the care team; make sure your health and wellness coach upholds the NB-HWC (National Board of Health and Wellness Coaching) certification, as FSA/HSA benefits may not apply to relationship coaching, life coaching, or other coaching that does not carry the NB-HWC badge. The NB-HWC certification is currently the gold standard in health and wellness coaching.

For a sample Letter of Medical Necessity, navigate here to see an example of its contents, as well as additional guidance for accessing health and wellness coaching with FSA/HSA benefits.

Resources:

1. Document from the NB-HWC: HSA and FSA Accounts for Health and Wellness Coaching (HWC) Services: https://nbhwc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/hsa-and-fsa-update-package.pdf

   
   

2. Centers for Disease Control (CDC): About Chronic Diseases: https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/about/index.html