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PPE Added to Eligible Expenses List

The IRS has added personal protective equipment (commonly known as "PPE") to the list of eligible expenses for HSA, medical FSA,  and HRA plans.

The IRS announced on March 26, 2021 that PPE has been added to the 213(d) eligible expenses list. This means you can use your accounts to pay for these products directly if possible, or you can file a reimbursement claim.

What is now eligible?

The PPE products include:

  • Masks
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Sanitizing wipes (not including baby wipes)

This applies to expenses dating back to January 1, 2020 as long as your account has been active since then. If your account was activated at any point since then, your purchases are eligible for reimbursement since the date your account was activated.

The announcement notes that most PPE items can be reimbursed from HSA, FSA, and HRA accounts if primarily purchased to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and used by you, your spouse, or your dependent(s).

You can submit these expenses online at {{main_site_url}}. If a claim was previously denied before this change, you can submit the expense as a new claim.

The Further debit card may not authorize these newly eligible expenses right away. We are working to update our systems. If a debit card purchase is denied, members may request to be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses related to these newly eligible items. SIGIS estimates that debit cards will decline these transactions until they can be updated with the added eligible expenses. This estimate is expected to go into effect on April 15, 2021.

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