Stay Healthy During Holiday Travel-and Spend Tax-free FSA Funds before the December 31 Deadline-with 10 FSA-Eligible Expenses from FSA Store®

Using flexible spending account (FSA) funds to purchase travel essentials is a perfect way to avoid forfeiting funds to the December 31 use-it-or-lose-it deadline

DALLAS, Dec. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of Americans will take to the skies and highways across the country in the coming weeks to spend time with loved ones, but a projected surge in respiratory illnesses could put a damper on those plans. To help travelers protect against and treat the symptoms of illness during the holidays, FSA Store^®, the first and leading online store dedicated to selling only FSA-eligible items, is reminding more than 35 million Americans who are enrolled in tax-advantaged flexible spending accounts (FSAs) of 10 ways they can use these funds to stay healthy during the holidays. As an added bonus, using FSA funds on these expenses can help consumers avoid forfeiting funds to the December 31 FSA use-it-or-lose-it deadline.

"The last thing anyone needs is to get sick during the holidays, which are hectic enough the way it is. The good news is, as you're buying cold medicines and hand sanitizers to fend off and treat illness during holiday travel, you can use your tax-free FSA funds to pay for many out-of-pocket healthcare expenses and save money, while avoiding a potential FSA forfeiture," said Rachel Rouleau, chief compliance officer for FSA Store^®, which is part of the Health-E Commerce^® family of brands.

10 Ways to Use FSA Funds to Stay Healthy During the Holidays

1. Hand Sanitizers: Winter travel means exposure to crowded airports and public spaces. Reduce exposure to germs while on the go with FSA-eligible alcohol based sanitizers like Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer and Caring Mill™ Alcohol Sanitizing Wipes. For extra protection, don't forget that protective Caring Mill™ Disposable Face Masks are also FSA eligible.
2. Cold and Flu Essentials: Treat cold and flu symptoms with over the counter medications like Caring Mill™ Cough Drops, Tylenol Cold & Flu medications, or a Vick's Sinus Inhaler Personal Steamer to help keep symptoms manageable. For greater convenience, check out the FSA Store Cold and Flu Bundle.
3. Allergy Relief Products: Don't let seasonal allergies turn into a cold or sinus infection. Keep allergies in check while on the go with Flonase Allergy Relief, Zyrtec, and Benadryl.
4. Motion Sickness Relief: Fight nausea by land, sea or sky with products like the Sea-Band Motion Sickness Wristbands (for non-drowsy relief) or Dramamine for adults or children.
5. Hydration and Electrolyte Support: Dehydration can sneak up on you while traveling, and it can lead to serious health challenges. Protect family members of all ages with electrolytes from Cure and Pedialyte.
6. Sunscreens and SPF lip balms. Whether you're hitting the slopes, the beach, or a relative's house, protect your skin with FSA-eligible sunscreens and lip balms with SPF from brands like Supergoop!, LaRoche-Posay, Coola, MD Solar Sciences, Sun Bum, and more.
7. Digital Thermometers: Keep a close watch on fevers so you can take action with a Caring Mill^™ by Aura digital thermometer for adults or infants.
8. Eye Care Essentials: Long days of travel and dry airplane conditions can leave eyes feeling bleary and irritated. Use FSA funds to replenish your supply of FSA-eligible Caring Mill™ Dry Eye Lubricant for quick comfort, or consider the portable, high-tech Cleaneze Dry Eye Revive Mask.
9. Baby and Child Travel Essentials: Families traveling with little ones will appreciate FSA-eligible baby health items like Caring Mill™ Children's Fever Reducer, children's Little Remedies Saline Nose Drops, the Boogie Micro Mist inhaler, or FeverFrida Cool Pads.
10. Digestive Health: The holidays and overeating seem to go hand in hand. To treat digestive discomfort that can occur when you stray from your normal diet or partake in one too many sweets, use FSA funds to purchase products like Caring Mill omeprazole or antacids, or the MedCline Acid Reflux system.

What is the FSA deadline? All FSAs have a deadline by which funds must be spent each year. Approximately 70% of employers have a December 31 FSA deadline, which means FSA users must spend remaining funds by this date unless their employer offers a balance rollover, a grace period extension, and/or a runout period extension. Any unspent funds are forfeited back to the employer. This is commonly known as the "use-it-or-lose-it" period for FSA users.

Take these steps to avoid forfeiting FSA funds:

1. Check your FSA balance. Contact your employer or FSA administrator for this information. You may even have access to your FSA information via an online portal through your FSA administrator.
2. Use account management tools at FSA Store^®, including an interactive deadline spending tool, product bundles, and the ability to shop by price to align with remaining funds.
3. Use the searchable FSA Eligibility List™ at FSA Store^® to shop more than 2,500 exclusively FSA-eligible products. Our specially trained FSA customer service representatives are available 24/7 via online chat or telephone to answer your deadline questions.

For more information about FSA deadlines or to explore eligible products, visit FSAstore.com.

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 expanding product eligibility for important new categories within the list of eligible medical expenses.

SOURCE Health-E Commerce