Pay for Massages With a Flexible Spending Account

There are a lot of massage therapists in Jacksonville including my buddy Tony Hanneken. What many of them may not know, however, is that potential customers could be getting treatments at a significant discount by using the health care flexible spending accounts that they may have through their employer.

Here’s how this works.

First, you need to sign up for a Flexible Spending Account with your employer. Your employer will pull money from your paycheck before they take out income taxes. You decide how much to deduct each year for health care expenses that insurance doesn’t cover, keeping in mind that if you don’t use the money within a year or so, you lose it.

Then, ask the administrator of your account whether massages are expenses eligible for reimbursement. If they are, you will probably need a prescription from your doctor for massage therapy for a particular ailment to use your account to pay for the massage. Most doctors are happy to oblige once you explain the reasoning to them.

Finally, make your massage appointment. You’ll probably need to pay upfront and then apply for reimbursement (don’t forget to submit your doctor’s note or prescription).

[This item courtesy of the New York Times]