You Can Use FSA Money for 23andme DNA Tests
If you’ve been thinking about doing a DNA test that will give you health reports, the good news is that the IRS has ruled that you can use your FSA money to pay a portion of this.
A ruling earlier this year says that ancestral DNA tests are not considered medical care, but that if the test provides health information (for example, 23andme’s health + ancestry service), a percentage of the cost can be paid with money from your flexible health care bill. …
23andme wants that FSA sweet money, so they’ve checked the numbers and want you to know that out of the $ 199 test cost, $ 117 is paid for the medical aspects of the test. If you bought a discounted test or already had ancestral service and paid for a health boost, they have a handy calculator to determine how much of the cost is FSA eligible. You can then print a receipt suitable for filing a refund.
So far, the IRS has only ruled on 23andme tests, but the ruling says it could be argued that other health-related DNA tests should also be eligible.
According to the ruling, the IRS’s idea of ”medical care” is broad and includes things like “for example, a full body scan performed without a doctor’s recommendation and in a person with no symptoms of illness or disease.” Consumer DNA tests are medically useless in most cases; even if the 23andme test shows that you have a genetic risk for the disease, you should still get a clinical test to find out if this is true , and perhaps also talk to your doctor and genetic counselor.