Anyone pay for their diapers with an HSA account?

[WetDad]

The cost is getting up there for me, so I'm wondering if I can use some of that money I set aside each year for stuff like this. Anyone have any experience with this? Is it any different for cloth vs. disposables? Do I need a prescription (?) from my GP? Fill me in please.

[bcca]

The cost is getting up there for me, so I'm wondering if I can use some of that money I set aside each year for stuff like this. Anyone have any experience with this? Is it any different for cloth vs. disposables? Do I need a prescription (?) from my GP? Fill me in please.

Yes you do need a prescription from your GP. This is a new requirement as of last year, and it applies both to HSAs and FSAs. My understanding is that the IRS wanted to make HSAs and FSAs consistent with each other as to what the requirements for each were, so they rolled out a completely new set of standards, that now applies to both of them.

Diapers used to, as I understand it, be classified as if they were "over the counter drugs", but now OTC drugs are *not* covered by either HSAs or FSAs. So you can't go out and buy Tylenol with your FSA card anymore.

You *can*, however, buy diapers, as long as you have, in your own files, a prescription from your doctor. You don't need to show the prescription to anyone -- you don't need to fax it to XP Medical or anything like that. But if you get audited by the IRS you will need to show the IRS the prescription.

All of this is what was told to me last year by the company that administers my HSA account. So if you want to double check, you can call up yours and verify. Don't take my word for it. But, that's what I was told.

[Steve M.]

It is 2019 now and the FSA rules have changed slightly. Specific prescriptions do not appear to be required for incontinence supplies. Good to see a bit of the hassle has been removed. As the year ends I have a slight surplus (nice problem) in my FSA account, so I've been able to use the funds for disposables. Northshore takes my FSA debit card with no issues.
Has anyone purchased cloth diapers with their FSA account?
Do you know of a cloth diaper supplier that bills the FSA debit card directly?

[fanoftherichISC]

been using my Federal FSA account to get reimbursed for incontinence supply's forever.
never had an issue. the fedfsa used to have a visa card that made it easier. but the reimbursement process has the money
in my account in a couple days anyway so no big deal. no script required.