Press Release

Health-E Commerce launches newly eligible feminine care products on FSAstore.com, HSAstore.com, and WellDeservedHealth.com

Issued by Health-E Commerce

July 7, 2020

Passage of the CARES Act makes tampons, pads, and related menstrual care products fully eligible for millions of consumers enrolled in tax-free healthcare spending

New York, NY (July 7, 2020) — More than 70 million Americans who use flexible spending accounts (FSAs), health savings accounts (HSAs), and corporate wellness dollars received welcome news earlier this year when the passage of the CARES Act, which made both overthe-counter (OTC) medicines and feminine care products fully eligible for purchase with tax-free funds. To make it easy for consumers to use their spending account dollars on the newly eligible items, Health-E Commerce, the parent brand of FSAstore.com, HSAstore.com, and WellDeservedHealth.com, announced today the launch of its feminine care product selection.

According to Jeremy Miller, founder and CEO of Health-E Commerce, feminine care products have long been one of the most asked about products among users of the Health-E Commerce family of retail sites. However, for a product to be considered a qualified health expense available for purchase with tax-free funds, it has to satisfy IRS requirements. Menstrual care products were previously considered only for “general health” and therefore not eligible for purchase with spending account funds. The passage of the CARES Act opened up this product category to tax-free spending after a concerted advocacy effort by Health-E Commerce to change the IRS categorization, recognizing these products as eligible medical expenses that are essential for women’s health.

It’s estimated that women spend an average of $144 or more out of pocket each year just on feminine care products (Dollars & Sense), and this new eligibility expansion will allow them to factor this cost into their yearly tax-advantaged account contributions.

The Health-E Commerce family of brands now offers a full line of menstrual care products like tampons, cups, pads, panty liners and period underwear from popular brands including:

● U by Kotex ● Playtex ● Stayfree ● Carefree ● Cora ● Rael ● Thinx  ● Divacup ● Flex Company ● o.b ● Saalt
 
“The CARES Act corrected a great inequity in product eligibility. We have always realized that feminine care products are health essentials for women, and as such, should fall under the IRS’s requirements,” said Miller. “This change has the potential to help women save on feminine care essentials by allowing them to use tax-free funds as opposed to paying out-of-pocket. Changes in the CARES Act have made tax-free healthcare more versatile than ever, and we encourage Americans to give these accounts a closer look during open enrollment this year.”

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