Health-E Commerce® helps families save on back-to-school health essentials with flexible spending account (FSA) and health savings account (HSA) funds

Parents expected to spend over $875 per child this year, but tax-free funds can help ease the cost of school-year prep

DALLAS (July 23, 2025) – Back-to-school season is officially underway across the country, and as parents begin planning–and shopping–for the year ahead, Health-E Commerce®, parent brand to FSA Store® and HSA Store®, is encouraging families to consider using flexible spending account (FSA) and health savings account (HSA) funds when purchasing health related products and services to stretch their budgets and get their children off to a healthy start for the school year.

With parents projected to spend over $875 per child to prepare for the new school year, the financial pressure can be significant. But many are missing a key opportunity to save because they aren’t aware that FSAs and HSAs can be used tax-free to cover a wide range of eligible health and wellness expenses for students—whether they’re starting pre-K, entering high school, or heading off to college.

“From changing health needs to the start of extracurricular activities to simply managing allergies or acne, student health needs don’t wait until the first bell rings,” said Keri Kaiser, chief revenue officer for Health-E Commerce. “While parents are familiar with using tax-free funds to pay for clinical services like physicals, vision care, and orthodontia, they often miss out on extra savings that come from using these funds to pay for everyday products and over-the-counter medications. Fortunately, FSA Store and HSA Store makes it easy to find eligible items, no matter what age your child might be.”

When shopping FSA Store or HSA Store, parents can search for products based on their child’s health needs, by product category, brand or even price. And because everything is guaranteed to be eligible, families can shop confidently, with zero guesswork.

Health-E Commerce is helping families make the most of their FSA and HSA funds by sharing these surprisingly eligible back-to-school healthcare shopping suggestions. In addition, parents will appreciate saving time and money with Bundles from FSA Store and HSA Store.

• Preschool and kindergarten. Prepare your child to take on all the minor colds and illnesses that come with starting preschool or kindergarten by purchasing basics like the Boogie Wipes Saline Wipes, Caring Mill® Sick Day Essentials Kit for Baby, and Braun No Touch Plus Forehead Thermometer. Pain and fever relief options like Children’s Motrin and Tylenol Children’s Pain + Fever Reliever are also available.

  
  

• Elementary school. Recess and after-school playdates can lead to bumps and boo boo’s, but FSA- and HSA-eligible essentials can help. Check out Caring Mill® Children's First Aid Kit, Neosporin Plus Pain Relief Ointment, and fun options like Welly Color Changing Bandages. When cold-and-flu season hits, don’t forget about options like the Caring Mill Non-contact Infrared Thermometer, Mucinex Children’s Cough Relief Liquid, and Children’s Zyrtec 24-hour Allergy Relief.

  
  

• Middle school. Middle school brings with it many changes and increased activity through sports and after-school activities. Help your kids stay healthy through it all with basics like Welly Clip ‘n Go Bandages, Always Radiant Flex Foam Pads, PanOxyl Acne Banishing Body Spray, Caring Mill® Acne Cleansing Wipes, Starface Hydro-Star Pimple Patches, and Cure Hydrating Electrolyte Drink Mix.

  
  

• High school. The life of a high school student is busier and more active than ever, and staying healthy and at the top of your game is important to teens and parents. Use FSA or HSA funds to purchase teen skincare essentials like LaRoche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser, OXY Daily Defense Cleansing Pads , and Starface Big Yellow Compact Pimple Patches. Your teen may also benefit from new tech devices like the reVive Light Therapy Sonique Mini Acne Brush and find relief from menstrual cramps with POP MASK BIG HUG Self-Heating Patches or the Caring Mill^TM by Aura Serene Menstrual Relief Bundle.

  
  

• College. The stress of watching your child leave for college is often magnified by worrying about their health while they’re on their own. Use tax-free funds to prepare a college “medicine cabinet” with items like CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser, Extra Strength Tylenol, Cure Hydrating Electrolyte Drink Mix Pouches. To help your student track important health factors like sleep and activity, consider the WHOOP 4.0 Wearable Health and Activity Tracker. For drug-free relief from muscle and back pain, check out the Caring Mill Muscle and Body Pain Relief EMS Tens Unit and for headaches and migraines, the Ease Migraine & Eye Reliever – Caring Mill™ by Aura is a popular option.

  
  

• For all ages, parents and students can benefit from FSA- and HSA-eligible telehealth services like high-quality eyeglasses and contact lenses at affordable prices from Warby Parker; Wisp for hassle-free OB-GYN services; BetterHelp for quality professional therapy and mental health support.

Did you know? If your child is heading off to college–whether it’s their first or fourth year–parents may want to consider requesting an FSA or HSA debit card through their account administrator to make it easier for their students to log on and purchase eligible healthcare products and or to pay for clinical services, if needed.

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Health-E Commerce®, parent brand of FSA Store® and HSA Store®, is helping families save on back-to-school health essentials by encouraging the use of FSA and HSA funds for eligible products and services. With back-to-school costs expected to exceed $875 per child, parents can stretch their budgets by using tax-free dollars to purchase health items like thermometers, acne treatments, pain relievers, first aid kits, and even telehealth services. From preschool to college, FSA Store and HSA Store make it easy to find guaranteed-eligible products tailored to every stage of student life, helping families prepare for a healthy school year with confidence and convenience.

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About Health-E Commerce

Health-E Commerce is the parent brand to FSA Store and HSA Store, online stores that serve the 70+ million consumers enrolled in pre-tax health and wellness accounts. The company also created Caring Mill®, a popular private-label line of health products through which a portion of every purchase is donated to the Children’s Health Fund. Since 2010, the Health-E Commerce brands have led the direct-to-consumer, e-commerce market for exclusively pre-tax health and wellness benefits. Health-E Commerce plays an essential role in advocating for expanded eligibility of important new products and telehealth services within the list of eligible medical expenses.