Medical Newsletter: HSA Eligibility

What is a medical newsletter?

A medical newsletter is a type of medical literature used by the medical community to share information, research, and ideas. Medical newsletters are also referred to as medical journals, and they usually consist of articles, reviews, and case reports.

Medical newsletters and journals often require a paid subscription for access. This expense is not eligible for reimbursement with a consumer-directed healthcare account. In certain cases, medical newsletters and journals may be sought after to learn more about a specific medical condition or disease, but reimbursement would require a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) from a medical professional outlining that the newsletter would be primarily used for the treatment of the medical condition.

Medical newsletters and journals often publish original articles. Curating these articles is a major factor in the cost of a subscription to a medical journal. Evidence-based medicine grows through randomized control trials, the documentation of which is written out in medical journal articles.

Reviews are another type of content in medical journals. Reviews focus on one particular body of work within medicine which is meant as a memory-refresher and update on progress in that topic since the latest publications of textbooks and other archives. There are also systematic reviews and meta-analysis reviews which answer specific medical questions or hypothetical problems by drawing on the entire body of a medical discipline.

Lastly, medical newsletters and journals often have case reports. Case reports show new clinical methods that have been tested or explored, and also investigate rare medical conditions.

Peer reviewed journals are generally the highest ranked medical newsletters journals with respect to prestige, quality of material, and reputability. Peer reviewed journals require submitted articles to have been reviewed by other professionals in the same field of expertise before these articles are published. The process of peer review allows to independent experts to conduct the same research and verify the results. Peer review adds a layer of trust and verification to the results and conclusions of studies and articles (National Center for Biotechnology Information).