As cold and flu season truly sets in, major home delivery platforms are now allowing customers to purchase products using their health benefits.
Both DoorDash and Instacart announced this week that they would accept payments from health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts to cover the cost of health and wellness items. In particular, according to Instacart, this rollout will make it easier for people to take full advantage of their FSAs, as funds expire at the end of each year.
In addition, some may find it difficult to use their HSA or FSA cards when making purchases at retail stores. Instacart said its new integration will allow for HSA and FSA payments from all retailers on its app that offer eligible items.
To make finding products easier, Instacart is also launching an HSA and FSA shop within its app that users can access. It will also roll out tags for products that show which are FSA- and HSA-eligible.
"Customers will be able to easily shop from eligible products—like acne face wash and high-quality sunscreen from a beauty retailer, or allergy medication, tampons and cold medicine from a local grocer or pharmacy—and use their FSA or HSA payment card at checkout for same-day delivery in as fast as an hour," wrote Sarah Mastrorocco, vice president and general manager of health at Instacart, in a blog post.
Alongside integrating FSA and HSA payments, Instacart is launching a new Health Wallet tool that will also allow users to use supplemental benefits from Medicare Advantage and Medicaid plans as well as funds from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
At DoorDash, the story is similar, according to an announcement from the company.
Customers can access "sick day essentials" under the dedicated Health section, and items eligible for FSA or HSA payments will be labeled as such. DoorDash is also rolling out coupons on select items as well as free delivery on eligible orders as part of the preparation for flu season.
Users can load their FSA or HSA cards into the app as payment methods and can then purchase items from 15 retailers.
“With the launch of HSA and FSA payments on DoorDash, consumers can now get the essential health and wellness items they need, when they need them, and in a way that makes financial sense for them,” said Fuad Hannon, vice president of new verticals at DoorDash, in the release. “As part of our mission to empower local economies, we're always working to broaden access for consumers in ways that break down barriers.