Can You Use Your HSA for Glasses and Contacts?

Key takeaways:

Eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision care services such as eye exams are HSA eligible.
Reading glasses, prescription sunglasses, and prescription blue-light glasses also qualify for reimbursement.
You can pay for these products and services with your HSA debit card or pay out of pocket and reimburse yourself later.

As much as most of us would like 20/20 vision, the reality is that 75% of the population needs some sort of vision correction. And insurance coverage for glasses, contact lenses, eye exams, and eye surgeries can vary.

If you need eye care, your HSA might be able to help. That’s because vision products and services commonly diagnose and treat medical conditions, making them eligible expenses.

Here’s a closer look at what qualifies and how to pay for vision care with your HSA.

Are Glasses and Contacts HSA Eligible?

Yes, many types of glasses and contact lenses are HSA eligible. You can use your HSA to pay for qualified vision expenses for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents.

Eligible vision care expenses include:

Prescription glasses
Contact lenses (to correct a vision problem—cannot be cosmetic)
Reading glasses
Prescription sunglasses
Prescription blue-light glasses (non-prescription blue light glasses with no vision-correction components will not qualify)

Vision care supplies (such as cases, cloths, cleaning solution, and repair kits) are eligible as well.

If you have vision insurance, you may have coverage for glasses and contacts. But most plans will make you choose between using your benefits for one or the other.

If that’s the case, you can use your vision benefits for eyeglasses and use your HSA for contacts, or vice versa.

Can You Use Your HSA for Eye Exams and Eye Surgery?

Yes, eye exams are covered. You can also use your HSA to cover copays and deductibles related to visits with an eye doctor.

You can use your HSA for eye surgery if the procedure corrects or improves vision or treats a condition or disease that affects eye health or eyesight. That includes cataract surgery and glaucoma surgery.

Can You Use Your HSA for LASIK Surgery?

Yes, both laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) are HSA eligible expenses because they correct vision conditions such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism (blurred vision).

Some insurance plans may offer benefits for laser surgery. But others don’t consider these procedures medically necessary and will not cover them. This is where an HSA can come in handy.

How to Use Your HSA for Glasses and Contacts

Your HSA administrator likely sent you a debit card when you enrolled in your account. You can use this card to pay for products and services at your doctor’s office and online.

If you use your HSA card, double check that you have enough funds in your account to cover the expense.

Alternatively, you can pay out of pocket and reimburse yourself later. Just make sure you keep the receipt or some other form of documentation.

Remember that you don’t have to reimburse yourself right away. If you keep the receipt, you can pay yourself back for the expense months or even years later. In the meantime, your account can earn interest or investment growth.