A Reimbursement Cheat Sheet

Key takeaways:

You can reimburse yourself for eligible expenses instead of paying for products or services upfront with your HSA.
There is no deadline or time limit on reimbursements if you made the purchase after you opened your HSA.
The Expense Dashboard® makes reimbursement easy by allowing you to upload receipts and track eligible expenses.

woman looking at laptop while making HSA reimbursements

Have an HSA but feel confused by the whole “reimbursement” thing? You’re not alone. But the good news is that it’s easier than it sounds.

Basically, you can pay for healthcare expenses out of pocket and pay yourself back from your HSA. And in some cases, it makes sense to reimburse yourself later.

Here’s a quick guide to help you understand how HSA reimbursement works. As always, this isn’t legal or tax advice. Talk to a licensed professional to make sure you’re making the right choices for you and your family.

Two ways to use your HSA

Let's start by going over your options for using an HSA to pay for a qualified medical expense:

Pay directly from your HSA.
Pay out of pocket and reimburse yourself later.

Pro Tip: If you can afford to pay out of pocket now and get reimbursed later, your HSA money stays in the account and keeps growing tax-free—a great long-term strategy.

Healthcare will be one of your biggest expenses in retirement. By saving and investing your HSA money now, you could end up with more options when you need it most.

Option 1: Pay directly from your HSA

It’s quick and simple. Here’s how you can do it:

HSA debit card: Use it like a regular debit card at the doctor’s office, at the pharmacy, or for eligible purchases at sites like HSA Store®.
Account portal: Many HSA providers let you pay bills directly through your account portal.
Checks: You can even order HSA checkbooks if you prefer paper payments.

Option 2: Reimburse yourself later

Sometimes, it makes more sense to pay out of pocket and get reimbursed later—like if your HSA doesn’t have enough funds, or you just want to let it grow.

You can reimburse yourself anytime—even months or years later—as long as you made the purchase after you opened your HSA.

How does HSA reimbursement work?

You have three choices when it comes to reimbursement:

Online transfer: Move money from your HSA to your checking or savings account.
Write yourself a check: If you have HSA checks, write one and deposit it like usual.
ATM withdrawal: Some providers may let you use your HSA card to withdraw cash. Check with your plan.

Which expenses qualify for reimbursement?

Per IRS rules, you can reimburse yourself for expenses that are used for the “diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease and for the purpose of affecting any part or function of the body.”

That means your HSA funds can cover costs associated with healthcare provider visits (doctor, dentist, specialists) as well as health products including over-the-counter medications, skincare, and pain relief.

Looking for something specific? Our Eligibility List® is an up-to-date catalog of every HSA eligible expense.

Is there a time limit on HSA reimbursement?

No, as mentioned earlier, you can reimburse yourself for HSA eligible expenses years after they occurred. There is no deadline or time limit for paying yourself back, according to the IRS.

However, you can't reimburse yourself for purchases you made before you opened your HSA. You’ll also need to keep receipts of your purchases (more on this below).

Do I need to keep receipts?

Yes, save your receipts. You don’t need to submit them when you file a reimbursement claim. But you’ll need proof your expenses were qualified, if the IRS ever asks.

Itemized receipts should match your HSA withdrawals to the penny. Don't be afraid to call drug stores, doctor's offices, or hospitals for receipts.

Your odds of a tax audit are low (less than 1%). But it's still a good idea to keep up with your paperwork.

Track and submit receipts with the Expense Dashboard®

Whether you pay directly or reimburse yourself later, tracking expenses is key. The HSA Expense Dashboard® makes it easy to:

Save: Keep all your records in one place—helpful for taxes or if you switch jobs or health plans.
Track: Out of funds? Just upload your receipts now and reimburse yourself later.
Shop: Everything at HSA Store® is guaranteed eligible, and all your receipts from store purchases are automatically saved in the dashboard. You can pay directly with your HSA card for instant convenience or use your regular credit or debit card and reimburse yourself later—whatever works best for you.

In summary

As you can see, HSA reimbursement doesn’t have to be complicated. You can pay upfront with your HSA or pay yourself back later. It's up to you.

Just make sure the expense is eligible and occurred after you opened your HSA.

Find more ways to get smarter with your HSA at our Learning Center.

FAQs

How long should I keep my HSA receipts?

It’s best to keep your receipts for HSA eligible expenses for at least 3 years after you file your tax return for the year the expense occurred. The IRS could audit you during that time, and you’ll need to be able to prove the expense was eligible.

But because there’s no deadline for reimbursement, you can wait years or even decades to pay yourself back. If that’s your plan, then you’ll want to hold on to the receipts until you decide to reimburse.

How long does an HSA reimbursement take?

It depends on how you reimburse yourself.

If you use your HSA debit card, you can get reimbursed instantly as long as you have enough funds in your account. A bank transfer can take 1-3 business days, and a check can take 5-10 business days.