Employee Benefits Tax-Free Coverage for OTC Drugs and Menstrual Products Effective Jan. 1, 2020, the CARES Act provides that OTC medicines are qualifying medical expenses that may be paid for (or reimbursed) on a tax-free basis by an HSA, health FSA, or HRA. This change eliminates an ACA provision that required individuals to have a prescription for an OTC medication (except insulin) to pay for it on a tax-free basis with their HSA, health FSA or HRA. In addition, effective Jan. 1, 2020, menstrual care products are qualifying medical expenses that can be paid for (or reimbursed) on a tax-free basis by an HSA, health FSA or HRA. Menstrual care products include tampons, pads, liners, cups, sponges or similar products used by individuals with respect to menstruation. These changes are discretionary for employers that sponsor health FSAs and HRAs. However, because HSAs are individual accounts, and not employer plans, employers do not control how HSA funds are used. For additional information, please contact the Curi Benefit Solutions team by calling 800-328-5532. News & Knowledge All Curi recommendations are based on current CDC criteria at the time of publication. CDC guidance for SARS-CoV-2 infection may, or may not, be adopted by state and local health departments to respond to rapidly changing local circumstances. Providers should always check with their local health department to see if the CDC’s guidance on any given topic has been modified (particularly if more restrictive) from the CDC’s recommended guidelines. Follow this link https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/healthdirectories/index.html for contact information to your state/local health department. If local recommendations vary from those of the CDC, and you are unsure what recommendations to follow, then it is safer to follow the more restrictive guidelines/recommendations.