An air purifier is used to improve the room air quality in your Home. However, the cost of good air purifiers can be an out-of-pocket expense.
Now the question is: Does Health Insurance Cover Air Purifier?
The Short Answer to this question is NO.
Health Insurance does not cover air purifiers, they do not reimburse the cost of air purifiers.
In this article, We will guide you on How you can reimburse air purifier costs without Health insurance. It would be best to explore an alternate option to reimburse this expense.
Without any further delay, Let’s deep dive!!
Does Health Insurance Cover An Air Purifier?
Health Insurance does not provide coverage for Air Purifier Expenses. It is not included in the list of eligible expenses.
As air purifiers cost more and that affects our pocket, you need to look for other alternatives to cover air purifier expenses.
The Alternatives are FSA and HSA accounts.
You can reimburse air purifier expenses with your FSA or HSA accounts. Generally, these accounts are used to pay health expenses that are out of pocket.
If you’re using either an FSA or HSA account for reimbursement, you need to provide a Letter of Medical Necessity(LMN) while claiming the expense.
LMN is prescribed by your healthcare provider. You need to get an LMN from your healthcare provider.
What is a FSA?
FSA is a Flexible Spending Account. It is like a savings account but funds are added to this account before the calculation of taxes.
It is a Pre-tax medical benefits account and can be used on qualified medical expenses.
In this account, the employee contributes before taxes, and in some cases, the employer also contributes to this account. For more clarification, you need to contact your HR department.
You are not taxed on the money you put into this account and you are also not required to pay tax on the withdrawal of the money for qualified medical expenses.
This saved money can be used for the following expenses:
- Office co-payments
- Deductibles
- Approved medical equipment and gadgets
What is a HSA?
HSA is a Health Savings Account. It is a kind of FSA account, where you save funds in this account. The Funds are used for out-of-pocket medical expenses, that are not covered by your Insurance plan.
You are not taxed on the money you put into this account and you are also not required to pay tax on the withdrawal of the money for qualified medical expenses.
If both accounts are of the same kind (used for out-of-pocket medical expenses) then what is the need to contribute in different accounts instead of one?
There is a single main difference between FSA and HSA accounts.
Now, your question would be What is that difference?
What is the Difference Between FSA and HSA?
The main difference between FSA and HSA is that FSA is an employer-controlled account, whereas HSA is an individual-controlled account.
Are Air Purifiers a Medical Expense?
Generally, Health Insurance does not provide coverage for Air purifiers.
If the purpose of using an air purifier is to treat, diagnose, and prevent medical conditions such as Asthma, Allergies, or COPD, you can use your FSA or HSA funds to cover the cost of an Air purifier.
But the thing here is, that your doctor needs to certify that the air purifier is a medical necessity for your treatment.
Once it is certified by the healthcare provider, you can claim the reimbursement for the air purifier either through HSA or FSA.
Your doctor gives you a letter called a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN). You need to provide this letter during the claim process.
Is An Air Purifier HSA Eligible?
If you are using an air purifier for treatment, diagnosis, mitigation, or cure of a medical condition or disease then this air purifier expense can be reimbursed through HSA Account.
Healthcare Provider confirms that you need an air purifier for the treatment of the disease on a letter (LMN).
This letter along with the receipt of the purchase needs to be submitted to the HSA administration for reimbursement.
Can I Use FSA Funds for an Air Purifier?
If an air purifier is used for treatment, diagnosis, mitigation, or cure of a medical condition or disease, then this expense can be reimbursed through your FSA Funds.
Before claiming reimbursement, you need to check the type of FSA account you hold.
If your account is a Limited Purpose or Dependent Care Flexible spending account, you will not get reimbursement.
Air purifiers are not eligible for reimbursement with a limited-purpose flexible spending account (LPFSA) or a dependent care flexible spending account (DCFSA).
If you have a Health Care FSA account, you are eligible for Air Purifier reimbursement.
For reimbursement, you need to get a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) from your Doctor or Healthcare Provider. In the letter, your doctor will confirm that you need an air purifier for your treatment.
You need to submit LMN along with the receipt of purchase and the FSA account number for reimbursement.
If you have any questions regarding the reimbursement process, you can contact to FSA administrator.
Conclusion
Air purifiers are not covered under Health insurance plans. It is considered as an environmental control Equipment and not primarily for medical purposes by the health insurance providers.
You can claim reimbursement for air purifiers through your FSA or HSA accounts.
You can get reimbursed only if your doctor has provided a Letter of Medical Necessity.
Now, we hope you got the answer to the question Does Health insurance cover Air purifiers?
Thank you for reading this article. Before closing this article please go through the Disclaimer mentioned below.
Disclaimer Statement
This blog post intends to provide you with information only. You should ask your healthcare provider if you have any questions.
