Can I buy sonicare toothbrush tops (heads?) with my HSA account?

I’m not 100% sure and it probably depends on your plan. According to this website, a toothbrush is considered a personal use item that cannot be charged to an HSA. Cigna’s website says that as long as it comes with a physician’s diagnosis letter (i.e. you have bad gingivitis, or something like that), it can be reimbursed (scroll down to E for electric toothbrush).
Also, according to the IRS,

“Medical expenses are the costs of diagnosis, cure, mitiga- tion, treatment, or prevention of disease, and the costs for treatments affecting any part or function of the body. They include the costs of equipment, supplies, and diagnostic devices needed for these purposes. They also include dental expenses. Medical care expenses must be primarily to alleviate or prevent a physical or mental defect or illness.”

Probably your best bet is to check with your insurance company and consider buying them directly from your dentist and/or getting a doctor’s letter.

No. FSA accounts do not allow for any dental hygiene products. As @shilolo stated above, the only way around this is if you can get them through your dentist.

We’re always irked that our dental products, vitamins and other preventative measures are not included on our FSA account.

See this thread for a recent Fluther FSA discussion

I think FSA and HSA are different? FSA’s are through your employer. We are self employed and have an HSA. It is a debit card that we contribute $400.00 per month to and use to pay for prescriptions and co-pays. I am not real clear on what other things we can get with it, but I know there are some over the counter things that qualify. For HSA’s I think most pharmacies know what will or won’t qualify. I know I have seen on receipts something saying X portion of this purchase can be reimbursed through an HSA account, but I don’t remember where.

@Judi Your HSA covers anything that’s FSA approved. At a pharmacy you need to look for the letters FSA on the shelf price tag. The computer/cash register will auto-deduct from the credit card any FSA items you’ve purchased then the rest of the items are paid with your own money.

You will want to verify with your plan provider. For example Aetna does cover it under “durable medical equipment”. https://member.aetna.com/member/hsa_healthcare_expenses_table.html

also these are sometimes referred to as a “Interplaque machine” so look for that term specifically as well. Under Aetna it says “Interplaque machine – see durable medical equipment” and under DME it says “oral hygiene equipment”....

Just make sure that whatever you buy using a FSA or HSA, you have some sort of way to “back it up” in case you get audited.

So for Sonicare Toothbrush heads specifically, I’d get your dentist to write “Sonicare Toothbrush and replacement heads and batteries”

This will give you a nice CYA for both heads and batteries.

Some companies differ on how FSA and HSA reimbursements are made but generally, HSA doesnt require submitting documentation were FSA might. but you still need to hold onto the documents in case you get audited!

Yes it can be eligible if you have periodontal disease or gingivitis. I have periodontal myself, and my insurance knows this as they pay differently. I dont get free visits. They are covered at 80% and I go 4 times a year. My dentist noted in my chart that he was prescribing the electronic toothbrush to treat the disease. I also have bone loss (it sucks getting old!) so all in all, it was a necessary durable good. I got mine from Walgreens (cheap one mind you) and had no problems using the debit card (although honestly almost everything in that store will go through your HSA so be careful). If I am ever audited I have plenty of proof that it was deemed medically necessary by my dentist. He was the one who told me it was eligible and though he could have gotten it for me, it was cheaper for me to go to Walgreens and get the basic one which was all anyone really needs.