Yes, you can use an FSA or an HSA for a chiropractor: chiropractic care is generally a qualified medical expense under IRS rules. Most people downtown also have a way to pay for it they haven't used.
We take HSA and FSA cards at the front desk.
Health Savings Accounts (HSA) can be used to pay for chiropractic care. Those are tax-advantaged dollars you've already set aside.
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Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) typically cover chiropractic treatments. Use your pre-tax benefits to reduce your out-of-pocket costs at The Shift.
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Many employers offer wellness benefits or stipends. Chiropractic care at The Shift may be covered under your employer's wellness program.
Learn MoreYes, and HSA funds can be too. Chiropractic care is an IRS-qualified medical expense (IRS Publication 502), so both Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) funds can be used to pay for it. You do not need a referral, a diagnosis code, or pre-approval. This means you can use pre-tax dollars to pay for your visits with Dr. Ben Glass, D.C. and Dr. Irina Velichko, D.C. at The Shift Chiropractic in downtown Oakland.
HSA Benefits: If you have an HSA, you can use your account balance to pay for chiropractic adjustments, consultations, and related treatments. Unlike FSA accounts, unused HSA funds roll over year to year, allowing you to build your healthcare savings.
FSA Benefits: Your Flexible Spending Account can cover chiropractic services. Remember that FSA funds typically follow a "use-it-or-lose-it" policy, so plan your healthcare expenses accordingly to maximize your benefits.
At The Shift, we make it easy to use your healthcare benefits. Simply bring your HSA or FSA card to your appointment, and we'll process the payment directly. Our team can also provide you with itemized receipts for your records.
Chiropractic care is an eligible use of HSA and FSA funds. We’re glad to help you use the benefits you already have.
Schedule your chiropractic appointment today and use your HSA, FSA, or wellness stipend to pay for it. Our convenient downtown Oakland location makes it easy to fit quality chiropractic care into your busy schedule.
Schedule AppointmentWe Accept Multiple Ways to Pay : see what a visit costs
Yes. Chiropractic care is an IRS-qualified medical expense, which means Health Savings Account funds can be used to pay for it. No referral, no diagnosis code and no pre-approval are required. Because HSA contributions are made pre-tax, you are effectively paying for care you were going to pay for anyway with untaxed dollars.
Yes. Flexible Spending Account funds cover chiropractic care on the same basis as HSA funds. The practical difference is the deadline: FSA money is typically use-it-or-lose-it at your plan year end, with only a limited grace period or small carryover depending on your employer's plan. If you have an FSA balance sitting unused, that is money with an expiry date.
Most do, including us. HSA and FSA cards generally work like a debit card at the point of service, so you can simply pay with the card at the front desk. If a practice cannot process the card directly, you can pay normally and submit the receipt to your plan administrator for reimbursement instead.
Yes. Bring the card to your appointment and we process it like any other card. We can also give you an itemised receipt for your records, which is worth keeping in case your plan administrator asks for substantiation later.
Chiropractic care itself is FSA eligible. What is not automatically eligible is everything adjacent to it — supplements, some wellness products, and certain non-medical services can fall outside the rules depending on your plan. If you are unsure about a specific item, your plan administrator can confirm it in a phone call.
Yes, for the visits themselves. Coverage is about eligibility of the expense rather than about your insurance plan approving treatment, which is a common point of confusion. Your FSA is your own pre-tax money set aside for medical costs, so the question is whether chiropractic qualifies as a medical expense — and it does.
Yes. HSA funds are not tied to your deductible — they are your own money, available from the moment they are in the account. This is one of the most common misunderstandings we hear at the front desk. You do not have to wait until a deductible is satisfied to use HSA or FSA dollars on chiropractic care.
In most plans it is forfeited at the end of the plan year. Some employers allow a short grace period or a small carryover, but the amounts are limited and the rules vary. If it is the last quarter of your plan year and you have a balance, it is worth checking your deadline now rather than in December.
A lifestyle spending account (LSA) is an employer-funded pool of money for wellbeing expenses — fitness, mental health, and in most plans, chiropractic and bodywork. Unlike an HSA or FSA it is not pre-tax and not IRS-governed; your employer decides what qualifies, which means the rules are set by your own benefits document rather than by tax law. Reimbursement is usually as simple as uploading a receipt to a portal. LSAs are among the most commonly offered and least commonly claimed benefits in Bay Area workplaces, and chiropractic care is eligible under a large share of them.
Often, and it is the benefit that most reliably goes unclaimed. Many downtown Oakland employers offer a wellness stipend, lifestyle spending account or fitness reimbursement, and chiropractic care frequently qualifies. It is usually buried in a benefits portal under “wellness,” “lifestyle” or “perks.” One short email to your HR or People team — asking whether the plan reimburses chiropractic care, what the annual amount is, and what documentation they need — is normally all it takes to find out.
Still deciding whether care is right for you before you spend anything? Read how chiropractic care actually works here — including how a plan is built and why the cost is shown to you in writing before you agree to it.
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