Q: Are expenses related to alcoholism or drug treatment eligible for reimbursement through a Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or a Health Savings Account (HSA)?
A: Yes, amounts paid for inpatient treatment (including meals, lodging, and other preventative measures such as an etg test) at a therapeutic center for alcohol and drug addiction qualifies as an eligible expense through a Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or a Health Savings Account (HSA). Amounts paid for outpatient treatment at a therapeutic center for alcohol or drug addiction also qualify.
Transportation expenses associated with attending meetings of an Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous group in the community would also qualify if attending due to a physician’s advice that membership is necessary to treat alcoholism. For an accurate accounting of mileage, we recommend printing driving instructions from one of the many mapping websites from either your work or home location (wherever you generally depart from) and the location for the meeting as documentation for mileage. Then, go online to determine the medical mileage rate for the current year. Calculate what the round-trip miles are multiplied by the medical mileage rate for this year to determine how much you can be reimbursed from your Health FSA or HSA account.
It is important to keep records of your meetings and mileage. SBA’s Forms & Information Library includes a Medical Mileage Log to help you keep track.
-Gina