How To Use Your HSA for Crossfit

Exercise is necessary for your health. Regular exercise can reduce the risk for conditions like type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Every workout has the potential to extend your natural lifespan. It seems obvious that physical activity is a form of medicine, even if normal HSA rules don’t appear to agree. 

A Letter of Medical Necessity can make it possible to use your HSA for personal training at a Crossfit gym. Here’s how the process works.

What Is an HSA?

A health savings account (HSA) is a special savings account you can use to store pre-tax money for healthcare-related needs. Using an HSA can help you cut your costs on health and wellness purchases by enabling you to bypass paying taxes on income you’ve earmarked for that purpose. 

Anyone with a high deductible insurance plan (who isn’t using Medicaid or Medicare) can open and use an HSA account. Eligible purchases can be made directly from your HSA account with a linked debit card (if your HSA custodian offers one) or made with your personal money and reimbursed to yourself through your HSA. 

Make sure you save your receipts for all HSA-eligible purchases to prove your HSA funds were spent appropriately. You won’t have to pay taxes on your HSA money if you’re able to prove that you used the funds as intended. 

What Does an HSA Cover?

Your HSA can be used to cover most everyday medical expenses, including co-pays for prescription medicines, prescription medical devices, and doctor visits. HSA funds also cover dental and vision visits, even if your insurance doesn’t. 

HSA funds can be used for over-the-counter purchases of daily healthcare necessities. You can use your HSA for things like cold medicine, pain relievers, and cough drops. First aid kids and first aid supplies, like bandages and rubbing alcohol, are also HSA-eligible expenses. HSA funds can be used for reproductive health purchases as well, including over-the-counter ointments, pads, tampons, condoms, and emergency contraception. 

Your HSA can save your family a substantial amount of money on the things you use every day to keep yourself healthy. Even though HSA funds cover a broad range of healthcare needs, you may have noticed that a few things are conspicuously missing. Don’t worry — there’s a workaround to help you check off every item on your list. 

Is Crossfit Healthy?

Crossfit could easily be considered beneficial to your health. The American Heart Association recommends that the average person get at least 2.5 hours of exercise a week — a goal that a shocking four out of five Americans don’t meet. The statistics suggest that the overwhelming majority of us need a little extra motivation to get up and move. 

Failing to meet your exercise goals can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, muscular injuries, and obesity. If you’re already living with at least one of these conditions, exercising and returning to health can reverse or eliminate most of the symptoms you experience. 

A gym membership can be the sense of motivation that some people need. Gyms like CrossFit offer workouts in a community environment. Many people go to CrossFit because they enjoy giving and receiving motivation to others in a group workout setting. When camaraderie and accountability go hand in hand, some people may be more likely to meet their workout goals. 

CrossFit coaches also act as informal personal trainers, which can make the environment more welcoming to people who don’t have an extensive amount of experience in fitness. The workout program is beginner-friendly and can be tailored to people of all ages, abilities, and levels of physical fitness. 

Does CrossFit Offer Personal Training?

CrossFit’s style of workout is very similar to personal training. Crossfit-certified coaches lead every workout session at a CrossFit gym. Much like personal trainers, a CrossFit coach plays an active role in the workout and offers personal hands-on assistance to anyone who needs it. Your CrossFit instructor will work with you and help you create a plan to reach your goals.

Although CrossFit isn’t traditional personal training, the outcome is largely similar. The best part is that, unlike most other gyms, CrossFit doesn’t charge an additional personal training fee on top of your membership fee. Coaching is already included in the price of your membership, which makes CrossFit one of the most economical gym options for people who want a little more guidance during their workouts.

Can You Use Your HSA for Personal Training or Gym Memberships?

You can’t use your HSA for personal training or gym memberships outright, but there’s a way to get around the eligibility restrictions and qualify to use your HSA funds for workout-related products and services. 

Your doctor can issue you something called a Letter of Medical Necessity that will allow you to purchase goods and services outside of your HSA’s standard eligibility list. A Letter of Medical Necessity is the only way to be granted an exception to the rules, and it opens a pathway to many goods and services you may not be able to buy otherwise.

What Is a Letter of Medical Necessity?

A Letter of Medical Necessity is a letter provided by a healthcare professional that states that a specific product or service would be significantly beneficial to their patient’s health. HSA eligibility rules require that you obtain a Letter of Medical Necessity before buying certain products, services, or memberships with HSA funds.

Keep your Letter of Medical Necessity with your receipts or invoices for the purchases it allowed you to make. The two work in tandem to demonstrate that your purchase was HSA eligible and that it qualifies for direct HSA payment or reimbursement. You’ll need them to prove that your HSA funds were spent appropriately.

How To Get a Letter of Medical Necessity

There are two ways to get a Letter of Medical Necessity. The first is to ask your doctor, and the second way is to use Truemed’s simplified process for getting a Letter of Medical Necessity quickly. Choose the option that works best for you.

Ask Your Doctor for a Letter of Medical Necessity

Doctors encourage their patients to take proactive measures to return to health or support their health — if you express an interest in joining a gym, there’s a chance your doctor might happily write you a Letter of Medical Necessity to make your gym membership more affordable.

The only downside to asking your doctor is that you’ll need to wait for an appointment. The average wait time for a doctor’s appointment is nearly a month. If you don’t have an appointment soon, you may have to wait a while to get your Letter of Medical Necessity.

Use Truemed for Your Gym Membership

Truemed partners with gyms to offer HSA/FSA payment processing if you meet eligibility guidelines. You can choose “Pay With Truemed” when checking out with one of our merchants, and after entering your payment details, you’ll be asked a few questions about your health circumstances. We’ll match you with a provider, and if you qualify, you’ll receive a Letter of Medical Necessity for your purchase. From there, you can proceed with the process of signing up for your gym membership using your HSA. 

How To Use Your HSA for Personal Training at a CrossFit Gym

As soon as you have your Letter of Medical Necessity for your gym membership, you can sign up for CrossFit through Truemed with HSA/FSA payment processing. Your gym membership payment can go on your HSA debit card and automatically be deducted from your HSA account. 

If your HSA doesn’t offer a debit card, you can pay for your gym membership out of your personal bank account and reimburse yourself through your HSA. Truemed can send you step-by-step instructions on how the reimbursement process works if you choose to go that route. 

Exercise Is Medicine

A great workout can be the best medicine for you. If you want to use your HSA for personal training or a gym membership, a Letter of Medical Necessity can help you gain access to Crossfit in an affordable way. We have your back when you’re ready to commit to a healthier future.

Truemed aims to make it easy to take your health and wellness into your own hands. You’re only a few clicks away from a fit, active, healthier you. 

Sources:

How HSA-eligible plans work | HealthCare.gov

American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids | American Heart Association

New survey: Physician appointment wait times getting longer | Washington State Hospital Association

Health Benefits of Physical Activity for Children, Adults, and Adults 65 and Older | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention