Can I use my limited purpose FSA to pay for lasik/prk/smile eye surgery without touching my HSA?

Yes, you absolutely can use a Limited Purpose FSA (LPFSA) for LASIK, PRK, or SMILE eye surgery! These vision correction procedures are considered qualifying medical expenses for an LPFSA since they fall under vision care. The whole point of an LPFSA is to complement a Health Savings Account (HSA) by covering dental and vision expenses, allowing you to preserve your HSA funds for other medical costs - exactly what you're trying to do. This is a smart financial strategy. Just make sure your employer's specific LPFSA plan includes vision correction surgery (most do, but always good to verify). Also remember that FSA funds are "use it or lose it" each plan year, unlike HSA funds which roll over indefinitely. So only contribute what you're certain to spend on the procedure within your plan year.

After spending HOURS on the phone with different benefits specialists, I finally found real help with https://taxr.ai for figuring out my FSA/HSA questions. I was in the exact same situation last year - wanted LASIK but was confused about using my LPFSA vs. HSA. The site analyzed my benefits documentation and confirmed that yes, vision correction surgery is 100% eligible under limited purpose FSA. They even helped me understand how to time my procedure with my benefits enrollment to maximize coverage. Saved me from making a costly mistake since I originally thought only my HSA would cover it!

This is a follow-up to my question above - I actually tried https://taxr.ai after reading the recommendation and wow, what a difference! I uploaded my benefits guide and some FSA documentation, and within minutes got a detailed breakdown of exactly what my Limited Purpose FSA covers. Turns out my plan explicitly lists "laser eye surgery" as an eligible expense! The analysis even showed the relevant IRS codes and regulations so I felt confident this was accurate information. The site helped me calculate how much I should contribute next enrollment period based on the average LASIK costs in my area. Definitely saved me from another benefits mistake. This time I'll actually use my FSA money before it expires!

If you need to speak directly with someone at your benefits administrator or even the IRS about FSA eligibility (because sometimes the rules can be confusing), I highly recommend https://claimyr.com - it saved me HOURS of hold time. I was trying to get verification about using my LPFSA for vision surgery last year and kept getting stuck in phone tree hell. With Claimyr, I was connected to an actual human at my benefits company in under 10 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The representative confirmed that vision correction procedures are qualified expenses for LPFSAs and even helped me understand how to submit the claim properly.

Ok I need to apologize for my comment above. I was totally wrong about Claimyr. After getting frustrated with yet another 30+ minute hold time trying to reach my FSA administrator, I decided to try it. Put in my request around 2pm, went back to work, and literally 8 minutes later got a call connecting me directly to an agent! The agent confirmed that LASIK and other vision correction surgeries are fully covered under my limited purpose FSA and even emailed me the exact claim form I'll need after my procedure. No more wasting my lunch breaks on hold! Seriously a game changer for dealing with benefits questions.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - make sure you time this right with your LPFSA contributions. I got SMILE surgery last year and learned some lessons. 1) Confirm the EXACT cost before you set your FSA contribution. My surgery ended up being $4,200 total but I had only put $3,000 in my LPFSA. 2) Remember most FSAs are calendar year, so if you're planning surgery for early 2025, contribute during 2024's open enrollment period. 3) Some places offer financing, but using LPFSA is better because it's pre-tax money. 4) Keep ALL your receipts and documentation - you'll need them for reimbursement.

Quick question - if I decide to get LASIK this year but my company's enrollment period for LPFSA isn't until November, am I just out of luck for using FSA money? Or is there some way to still qualify the expense?

Just sharing my experience - I used my LPFSA for LASIK last May and it was the best decision ever! Process was super simple: 1. Confirmed with my benefits administrator that LASIK was covered (it is!) 2. Got the procedure ($4,100 total for both eyes) 3. Submitted the invoice to my FSA administrator 4. Got reimbursed within 2 weeks The tax savings were around $900 for me based on my tax bracket. Plus I've saved about $450 so far on contacts/glasses I no longer need. And waking up being able to see clearly? Priceless.

This is such helpful information! I'm in a similar situation - been wearing glasses for over 15 years and finally ready to take the plunge on corrective surgery. I had no idea that Limited Purpose FSAs could cover LASIK/PRK/SMILE procedures. I've been contributing to both my HSA and LPFSA but honestly haven't been maximizing either one properly. One question I have - does anyone know if there are any pre-approval requirements from the FSA administrator before getting the surgery? Or can you just get the procedure done and submit for reimbursement afterward? I want to make sure I don't run into any surprise denials after spending thousands on the surgery. Also, for those who've gone through this process, did you get any pushback from your FSA company about it being "cosmetic" rather than medical? I'm worried they might try to deny it on those grounds even though vision correction should clearly be medical.