Nursing Services: HSA Eligibility

Expenses are ineligible for any non-medical services (e.g., housecleaning, personal services).

Nursing services are any activities performed that would normally be performed by a nurse. These services include caring for a medical condition or disease, administering medicine and drugs, changing dressings and bandages, and daily bathing and grooming. Nursing services can be administered at a hospital, care facility, or home. Only the amount of the expense devoted to nursing services is considered an eligible medical expense for reimbursement with a consumer-directed healthcare account. Other services provided such as personal, assisting, or household services cannot be included in these expenses.

Nursing services can also be considered eligible for reimbursement with the cost of meals for the nurse or person performing the nurse's work. Nursing services are often considered part of home health care treatment, and that is the most common occurrence of expenses classified as nursing services.

What is home health care?

Home health care is an expansive term that refers to a wide range of potential medical services that are provided by a caregiver in an individual's home or another facility. Common home health care services include:

• Nursing Care
• Physical Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Medical Social Services
• Speech Language Pathology
• Home Health Aides

How does home health care work?

Home health care is meant to replicate the types of services an individual would receive in a hospital or other facility, but it is typically cheaper, far more convenient and still maintains the standard of care that a person would find in a traditional medical setting. The goal of home health care is to treat a specific illness or medical condition, which can help the individual get back on his/her feet, regain independence and return to the path to self-sufficiency.

In order to begin a plan of care with a home health care organization, a doctor's order is needed to get underway, but patients will have the final decision in choosing the home health care organization that meets their needs. This is usually followed by an appointment with the home health care group who will assess the nature of the patient's medical issues and develop a plan of care to help the patient return to good health (Medicare.gov).