Can your Health Equity card pay for that gym membership? Here’s what you need to know

Let’s face it – gym memberships aren’t cheap. If you’ve got a Health Equity card linked to your HSA or FSA, you might be wondering if you can use those pre-tax dollars to cover your fitness costs.

The short answer? You can, but only with a doctor’s note.

Can You Use Your Health Equity Card for Gym Memberships?

The IRS normally considers gym memberships a personal expense, not a medical one. But there’s a workaround that could let you swipe that Health Equity card at your local fitness center.

The Magic Document: Letter of Medical Necessity

Want to use your HSA/FSA funds for that gym membership? You’ll need a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) from your healthcare provider.

This isn’t just a “working out is good for you” note. Your doctor needs to explain why hitting the gym is medically necessary to treat or prevent a specific health condition you have.

Some qualifying conditions that might get you that LMN include:

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Heart disease
• Back pain
• Arthritis
• Depression/anxiety
• Sleep disorders

That letter transforms your gym membership from a “nice-to-have” into a legitimate medical expense in the eyes of the IRS and your HSA/FSA administrator.

How to Make It Happen

If you want to use your Health Equity card for that fitness membership, here’s your step-by-step game plan:

1. Talk to your doctor about how exercise would help your specific health condition
2. Get that Letter of Medical Necessity (be sure it mentions your condition and why gym access is medically required)
3. Confirm with Health Equity that gym memberships with an LMN are covered under your specific plan
4. Check if your gym accepts HSA/FSA cards – not all do!
5. If they don’t accept the card directly, keep detailed receipts for reimbursement

Remember, without that LMN, your Health Equity card transaction for a gym membership will likely be declined. Don’t try to sneak it through – that could cause problems later.

Beyond Basic Memberships

The same LMN approach can potentially cover other fitness expenses:

• Personal training sessions
• Fitness classes
• Activity trackers
• Workout apps

Again, the key is that these must be prescribed by your doctor as part of treating a specific medical condition, not just for general wellness.

Real-World Example

Let’s say you have type 2 diabetes. Your doctor might write an LMN explaining that regular exercise at a gym is medically necessary to help manage your blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and prevent complications.

With that documentation, you could potentially use your Health Equity HSA funds to cover your monthly Planet Fitness membership – saving you both money and improving your health!

What If Your Gym Doesn’t Accept Health Equity Cards?

No worries! You have options:

1. Pay upfront with your personal credit card
2. Submit the receipt along with your LMN to Health Equity
3. Get reimbursed from your HSA/FSA funds

Just make sure to keep all documentation for at least 3 years in case of an audit. The IRS takes HSA/FSA spending seriously, and you’ll need to prove your gym membership was a legitimate medical expense.

The Bottom Line

Your Health Equity card can absolutely pay for a gym membership – but only with proper medical documentation. Without that Letter of Medical Necessity, you’ll need to use regular post-tax dollars for your fitness routine.

This isn’t just Health Equity being difficult – it’s IRS rules that all HSA/FSA administrators must follow.

The good news? If exercise is genuinely part of treating or preventing a medical condition, you might be able to leverage those tax-advantaged dollars to improve your health while saving money. That’s what I call a win-win situation for your wellness journey!