Healthcare FSA planner
Work out how much to put in your healthcare FSA each month. Enter your family's expected costs and your insurance, and the planner takes out what insurance should pay. You will see the most you can put in, the amount per month and per paycheck, and about how much you save in taxes.
Educational estimate only. It does not decide your eligibility or give tax advice.
Limits used
- 2026: $3,400. If your plan has a carryover, up to $680 of unused 2026 money can move to the next plan year.
- 2027: (limit not yet announced)
Sources retrieved: November 5, 2026
Whose costs can you include?
A healthcare FSA can pay eligible costs for you, your spouse, your tax dependents, and your children who are under 27 at the end of the year, even if they are not your tax dependents. The limit is per employee, so more family members do not raise it. If your spouse has an FSA at their own job, they have their own limit.
Costs these accounts can pay that insurance often does not
These are allowed under IRS rules when they are for medical care. Your plan may list fewer, and some need a note from your clinician. Keep every receipt.
- Everyday pharmacy itemsOver-the-counter medicines and period products, with no prescription needed. Also pregnancy tests and condoms.
- Glasses, contacts, and eye surgeryPrescription glasses, contact lenses, contact lens solution, and laser eye surgery.
- Hearing aidsThe hearing aid, plus batteries, repairs, and upkeep.
- Dental workCleanings, fillings, braces, and dentures. Teeth whitening does not count.
- Acupuncture and chiropractic careBoth are listed as medical expenses by the IRS.
- Therapy and counselingVisits with a psychologist or therapist for medical care.
- Breast pumps and suppliesPumps and supplies that help with breastfeeding.
- Fertility treatmentFor example, IVF, including temporary storage of eggs or sperm.
- Birth control and sterilizationPrescribed birth control pills, vasectomy, and other legal sterilization.
- Programs to stop smokingFees for a stop-smoking program.
- Weight-loss programs for a diagnosed conditionAllowed when a doctor diagnoses a disease such as obesity, high blood pressure, or heart disease. Gym dues do not count.
- Travel to get careBus, taxi, train, or plane fares, plus gas, parking, and tolls. Lodging near the care can count up to $50 a night per person; a parent traveling with a sick child can count up to $100. Meals do not count.
- Home changes for a medical needFor example, ramps, wider doorways, or grab bars. If the change raises your home's value, only the cost above that increase counts.
- Service animalsBuying and training a guide dog or other service animal, and its food, grooming, and vet care.
- Special tutoring or schoolingOn a doctor's advice, a specially trained tutor or school for a child's learning disability.
- Lead paint removalRemoving peeling lead paint to protect a child who has or had lead poisoning.
- A wig after hair loss from illnessWhen a doctor advises it for the mental health of someone who lost their hair from disease.
- Medical conferencesAdmission and travel to a conference about a chronic illness in your family. Meals and lodging do not count.
- Nursing and home careHelp with medical care at home, such as giving medication or changing dressings, even if the helper is not a nurse.
- Vitamins and supplements, sometimesOnly when a clinician recommends them to treat a diagnosed condition. For general health, they do not count.
Usually not allowed
- Gym or health club dues for general fitness
- Vitamins taken for general health
- Cosmetic procedures, such as teeth whitening
- Diapers, unless needed because of a disease
An FSA cannot pay insurance premiums or long-term care costs.
How this is calculated
Insurance share: for bills insurance helps pay, you pay the deductible first, then your coinsurance percent of the rest, up to the out-of-pocket maximum. Copays and costs insurance does not pay are added in full. Suggested amount = your share − employer money − carryover, between $0 and the limit. Per month = amount ÷ 12. Per paycheck = amount ÷ paychecks in a year. Tax saved = amount × (federal bracket + state rate + 7.65% Social Security and Medicare).
Worked example: $3,000 in bills insurance helps pay, a $1,000 deductible, 20% coinsurance, and a $4,000 out-of-pocket maximum. Your share is $1,000 + 20% of $2,000 = $1,400, so insurance pays $1,600. Add $600 in copays and glasses: $2,000. Minus $500 from your employer: $1,500. That is $125 a month, or $57.69 a paycheck if paid every two weeks. In the 22% bracket with a 5% state rate, you save about $519.75, or about 35¢ of every $1.
Assumptions
- All costs you enter are eligible for your FSA.
- Your deductible and coinsurance apply to all the bills insurance helps pay. Copays are added on top and are not counted toward the out-of-pocket maximum, so the estimate may run a little high.
- Your plan uses the federal limit unless you enter a lower one.
- Contributions are spread evenly over 12 months.
- Your bracket stays the same for the whole amount.
- Social Security tax applies to all your pay. Above that tax's yearly wage cap, the real saving is smaller.
Not included
- Grace-period details
- Mid-year changes from life events
- Dependent-care FSAs, which follow different rules
- Tax credits that depend on your income
- Local income taxes
When to get personal help
Ask your benefits office about your plan's limit, carryover or grace period, and deadlines for claims.
Related
Where can I go for help?
Free help is often close by: the member services number on your insurance card, the billing office for your provider, your state insurance department, and nonprofit patient advocates.
Who can help, and what each one does
Prefer personal support? An independent patient advocate may help. Learn about Navigator & request beta access (Navigator is in development.)
This is general education. For decisions about your own plan, taxes, or legal rights, check your plan documents or a qualified professional.