How an HSA can support your employees’ mental health

New survey results published during Mental Health Awareness Month indicate that a variety of financial and health factors are the top drivers influencing mental health in this country. Money was the top factor at 52%, with personal health and the health of family/friends also ranking among the top four.

There are a variety of ways you can promote mental health in the office, and one way is to provide benefits that support your employees’ needs. For example, your employees can use their health savings account (HSA) to improve their financial wellness and save money on a variety of mental health-related expenses. As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’ll walk through the HSA eligibility of these expenses. 

Counseling

Mental counseling may qualify as an HSA-eligible expense if the counseling is as a result of a diagnosed medical condition. That means you may need to first seek a diagnosis from a doctor and get diagnosed in order to use your HSA funds on any counseling that follows. Marriage counseling, career counseling, life coaching, and parenting counseling do not qualify as HSA expenses. 

Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis is defined by Simply Psychology as “a set of psychological theories and therapeutic methods which have their origin in the work and theories of Sigmund Freud.” It’s commonly used to treat anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, and a variety of other mental health needs. Psychoanalysis will qualify for HSA funds if it’s being provided for medical treatment and not just benefit an individual’s general health. 

Therapy or psychological care

Your employees could be increasingly reaching out for therapy or psychological care for any number of reasons. Like with psychoanalysis, therapy or psychological care qualifies for HSA dollars only if provided for medical care and not for the general improvement of mental health, stress relief, or personal enjoyment.

Would you like to learn more about emerging trends surrounding mental health in the workplace? Check out this episode of Benefits Buzz. 

Service animal

Animals play a critical role in mental health. Common examples include psychiatric service dogs and emotional support animals. If an individual can show that he or she is using a service animal primarily for medical care to alleviate a mental disease or illness, then expenses for buying, training, and maintaining a service animal may be eligible for HSA funds if the expenses would not have been paid for if not for the defect or illness.

Prescription/OTC meds

Employees with mental illness may depend on antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and mood stabilizers. A variety of over-the-counter drugs and prescription medications are available for purchase with HSA funds. 

Acupuncture

In some countries and culture, acupuncture is counted on as a form of treatment for a variety of mental health issues. Fortunately, acupuncture is also an HSA eligible expense when used for medical care. 

Sleep deprivation treatment

Stress can lead to a lack of sleep, which will have a profound impact on your employees’ mental wellness. One study found that chronic sleep problems affected 50 to 80 percent of patients in a typical psychiatric practice. Sleep deprivation treatment may help alleviate mental health symptoms and is HSA eligible.

Telemedicine visits

At the start of the pandemic, the use of telemedicine skyrocketed by more than 1000% in March 2020 and 4000% in April 2020, according to one study. Like many changes during the pandemic, it’s popularity could last even after the pandemic is behind us. HSAs do cover medical practitioners’ fees for telemedicine.

And don’t forget about investing!

With money being the number one factor negatively affecting mental health, HSAs are a great tool for investing and retirement planning. In addition to investment capability, all HSA funds carry over from year to year, so participants can use these accounts to build a balance for their long-term healthcare needs. 

Would you like to learn more about how participants can lean on their HSA to plan for retirement? Get your free guide here.

The information in this blog post is for educational purposes only. It is not legal or tax advice. For legal or tax advice, you should consult your own counsel.