Overview
You might be wondering if you can submit an expense for over-the-counter (OTC) medications, vitamins, or supplements. After all, they support your health, right?
For benefit features that follow Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) guidelines, they're generally not eligible, even if they're prescribed by your healthcare provider.
The details
What are we talking about?
When we say OTC medications, vitamins and supplements, what do we mean?
We’re talking about:
- Herbal supplements
- Vitamins and minerals
- Nutritional supplements
- Pain medication
- Cold, flu and allergy medications
It depends on your benefit feature
Some Blendable benefit features follow the CRA's guidelines for eligible medical expenses.
These include:
- HSA Classic
- HSA Rollover
- HSA Rollback
- Enhanced Health Blends (EHB)
Why doesn't a prescription make them eligible?
CRA eligibility is based on what the product is, not whether it's prescribed.
If a medication or supplement can be purchased without a prescription, it’s generally not eligible for reimbursement under CRA rules. A recommendation or prescription from your provider doesn’t change that.
Other benefit features
Some Blendable benefit features reimburse wellness or lifestyle expenses. These are called Wellness Spending Accounts (WSA).
If your Plan includes one of these features, you'll find the details in your Member Centre.
Anything else?
Details about eligible expenses are available 24/7 in your Member Centre. If you still can't find what you're looking for, reach out to our Customer Experience team – we're happy to help!