Comment by tomjakubowski
2 years ago
healthcare and medicine aren't synonymous
psychologists, mental health therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and so on, do not practice medicine - but the services they provide can be paid for with HSA and FSA money
Technicalities don't matter, explicitly calling it out creates a false connection in readers brains. Like how some snake oil treatments say "FDA cleared" because they know consumers don't know what it means.
I disagree. This isn't about technicalities. I think it's about you assuming that others draw a "false connection" just because you saw one. Most people don't see HSA/FSA and automatically assume that a service is medical care. HSA/FSA funds are for healthcare-RELATED expenses and cover lots of things that aren't medical co-pays or medication: sunscreen, condoms, breast milk pumps, glasses or contacts, health-related home improvements (e.g., wheelchair ramps, hand rails), transportation for medical care, weight loss programs, menstrual care products, band-aids etc. All of those things are healthcare-related, but they're clearly not medical care.
There's nothing wrong with stating the objective reality that the cost of Shimmer is HSA/FSA-eligible. HSA/FSA-eligibility is directly relevant to one of Shimmer's key goals, making ADHD coaching accessible to people who can't afford traditional coaching. Using HSA/FSA funds brings down the overall cost significantly, so it's going to be a factor when budgeting. It isn't even close the same thing as snake oil treatments claiming to be "FDA cleared." Consumers may not realize that "FDA cleared" is an absolutely meaningless phrase, but I think we can agree that most adults know the difference between a condom and a licensed medical professional dispensing FDA-approved medication.
"HSA/FSA-eligible" is a legitimate, accurate phrase to describe the services Shimmer provides. Plus, anyone who has a HSA/FSA has most likely received education or literature about it through the company providing it for them (typically their employer). They're not reading this post thinking, "Since I can pay for this with the account that I use to buy sunscreen and band-aids, I will surely see a physician and get drugs." Personally, I thought, "Gee, I wish I had a HSA/FSA so I could use it to pay for this health-related service." All brains are different, especially ADHD brains. It's unhelpful to assume they'll all draw the same false conclusion as you did.