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FSA Deadline Guide: Use Your Balance Before It Expires
FSA money is use it or lose it, and most plans forfeit whatever remains on December 31. How the deadline works, how to check yours, and how to spend a balance well.
FSA money is use it or lose it: for most plans, whatever sits in the account on December 31 is forfeited. Some employers soften that with a short grace period into the new year or a small carryover, but the default is a hard deadline, and unspent balances go back to the employer, not to you. If you are holding a balance in the fall, the sensible move is to spend it on something you actually want, before the calendar does the deciding.
How the FSA deadline actually works
A flexible spending account is funded from your paycheck before tax, against an amount you elected during open enrollment. The IRS trade for that tax break is the use-it-or-lose-it rule. Employers may offer exactly one of two softeners, and many offer neither:
- A grace period: roughly two and a half extra months, into mid-March, to spend the prior year's funds.
- A carryover: a small amount, a few hundred dollars set annually by the IRS, that rolls into the new year. Everything above it still expires.
Your plan documents or administrator portal say which, if either, applies to you. Never assume the softer version; the December 31 hard stop is the most common design, and forfeited money is genuinely gone. This is FSA-specific: HSA funds never expire, which is one of several differences covered on our HSA and FSA page.
Step one: find out what you actually have
Log into your FSA administrator's portal (the name is on the card you were issued) and check three things: the remaining balance, the plan year end date, and whether a grace period or carryover applies. Five minutes, and it turns a vague worry into a number with a date on it. If the number is meaningful, the rest of this page is about spending it well.
How wellness devices qualify
Two groups of purchases exist. Everyday medical items, bandages, thermometers, first aid, are eligible outright and are the classic last-minute FSA shopping basket. Wellness devices sit in the second group: eligible when an independent licensed provider documents that the purchase addresses a specific health need for you, in a letter of medical necessity. At Kove that review happens in about two minutes at checkout through Truemed: a short health survey, a licensed provider's review, and if the purchase fits your needs, the letter the IRS requires. If it does not fit, the provider declines and you have lost nothing.
The honest caveat, stated plainly: eligibility is decided per order by the provider, and your plan administrator always has the final say. No store can promise eligibility in advance, including this one.
Spending a balance well, by size
Prices as of September 2026; product pages are the source of truth. The pattern worth noticing: the two minutes at checkout cost the same at every price, so the bigger the purchase, the more the pre-tax treatment matters.
| Balance left | Worth a look | From |
|---|---|---|
| A few hundred dollars | Mendi neurofeedback headset, MitoQUAD red light belt, MitoPRO+ starter panel | $261.75 |
| Around $500 | MitoGLOW LED face mask, HEALiX-Z sauna blanket, TruAge biological age test | $499 |
| Around $1,000 | MitoMAX 2.0 full body panel, Frozin 400 cold plunge tub, HEALiX Revive PEMF mat | $749 |
| More, or family pooling | Frozin Complete System, Thera360 Plus sauna, MitoPOD wrap | $1,428 |
The full qualifying range is in the HSA/FSA eligible collection, and the category guides in the Journal cover choosing within each.
Mind the calendar, not just the deadline
Two practical dates sit before December 31. First, order timing: give shipping and any card processing room to land inside the plan year, which in practice means ordering by mid-December rather than the 30th. Second, if you pay out of pocket and claim reimbursement, check your plan's claim submission deadline, which can run past the spend deadline. And if open enrollment is happening now for next year, this year's forfeiture is the best data you have for setting next year's election.
What if you miss it?
Forfeited is forfeited; there is no appeal. The consolation moves: a grace period, if your plan has one, is a second window into March. And the structural fix is the account type itself: if you are choosing between an FSA and an HSA at enrollment and qualify for both, HSA funds never expire, roll over completely, and stay yours across job changes.
Frequently asked questions
When is the FSA deadline?
December 31 for most plans. Some employers add a grace period to about mid-March or a small carryover; your plan administrator's portal states which applies to you.
What happens to unspent FSA money?
It is forfeited to the employer under IRS rules. It does not refund, and it does not follow you to a new job.
Are wellness devices FSA eligible?
They can be, with a letter of medical necessity from a licensed provider documenting a specific health need. That review runs in about two minutes at Kove checkout through Truemed, and the provider's honest decision governs.
Can I buy now and submit for reimbursement later?
Yes: pay normally, then submit the letter of medical necessity and receipt to your plan administrator. Watch your plan's claim deadline, which is separate from the spend deadline.
Does the FSA deadline apply to HSA money?
No. HSA funds never expire. The deadline pressure is an FSA design feature; the differences are laid out on the HSA and FSA page.
Is this tax advice?
No. Kove does not provide medical or tax advice, and your plan administrator has the final say on every claim. Truemed is for qualified customers; HSA/FSA savings vary. Details at truemed.com/disclosures.
The short version
Check the balance, check the date, and spend deliberately before the calendar spends for you. Order by mid-December, keep the letter with the receipt, and put money that was about to vanish into something with a decade of use in it. Start with the HSA/FSA eligible collection, free US shipping and the Price Beat guarantee included.
