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Kairos Health and Wellness

Medical Fitness

Functional Direct Primary Care

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What is Medical Fitness?

Medical Fitness : Medical fitness refers to the merging of medicine and fitness, where healthcare professionals collaborate with fitness experts to promote overall health and well-being. It involves using exercise and physical activity as a form of medicine to prevent and manage chronic diseases, improve functional abilities, and enhance quality of life. Medical fitness programs are often personalized to meet the specific needs and goals of individuals, taking into account their medical history, current health status, and any existing conditions or limitations. These programs may include a combination of cardiovascular exercise, strength training, flexibility exercises, balance training, and other modalities tailored to address individual needs.

Medical Fitness and HSA

Medical Fitness : The term “medicine” is generally used to refer to visits with a healthcare provider and items that a healthcare provider prescribes for you. In reality, medicine is so much more. Every decision you make to improve or maintain your overall wellness is medicine. The things you put on your plate and the 30 minutes you spend at the gym are absolutely medicine — so why doesn’t your HSA feel the same way? You can expand your HSA’s eligible offerings with something called a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN). A Letter of Medical Necessity states that your healthcare provider feels that something would have medicinal value to you and, therefore, should be covered by HSA funds. Here’s how it works.

What Is Generally Covered By an HSA?

Medical Fitness : Your HSA (health savings account) is designed to make health and wellness costs more affordable. It can be used for obvious medical expenses, like co-pays on medical visits and prescriptions. HSAs also extend to things you can purchase over the counter. You can use your HSA for over-the-counter medicines, first aid supplies, reproductive health supplies, and necessary medical devices. Anything that would obviously be considered medicine or a wound care product is typically covered by an HSA. The only issue is that there are plenty of things necessary for our health and wellness that aren’t typically considered medicine. Supplements and vitamins, healthy food, exercise, and high-quality sleep all have a significant value to human health, but your HSA doesn’t immediately recognize that value. That’s where a Letter of Medical Necessity comes into play.

What Is a Letter of Medical Necessity?

A Letter of Medical Necessity is a letter written by a healthcare provider stating that their patient would experience a significant benefit to their health or wellness by using a specific product or service. These letters come in handy when your unique medical needs fall outside of the normal scope of HSA-eligible purchases. A Letter of Medical Necessity can be written for any health or wellness need. You won’t need a Letter of Medical Necessity for things like prescription medicine, necessary medical devices, or doctor-prescribed medical treatment.

Why Do You Need a Letter of Medical Necessity?

Medical Fitness : Some people benefit from vitamin supplements, which aren’t ordinarily covered by HSA funds. Things like gym membership and workout equipment also aren’t HSA eligible by default. Vitamins and exercise can both be crucial to maintaining your health, and your healthcare provider knows that. However, default HSA rules don’t automatically agree with this — a Letter of Medical Necessity overrules default HSA eligibility guidelines by expanding what’s made available to you via HSA funds. There’s an entire secondary list of products and services that are available with a Letter of Medical Necessity. You’ll need a Letter of Medical Necessity for each category of products or services you want to purchase. For example, you can’t use a Letter of Medical Necessity for workout equipment to purchase bone broth — your healthcare provider will need to write separate notes for each category of need and specifically mention what the LMN is intended to be used for.

What Can You Get With a Letter of Medical Necessity?

Your Letter of Medical Necessity acts like a key to unlock new doors along your wellness journey. With a Letter of Medical Necessity, an expanded range of health and wellness goods and services are made available to you.

Sleep Support Items and Tech

Medical Fitness : The human body needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night in order to recover from the day and function properly. Bedtime gear can be a starting point for getting better sleep — examples include: Special pillows, mattresses, and mattress pads Sleep tracking tech

Healthy Foods, Vitamins, and Supplements

Medical Fitness : Health starts with what we eat. Everything you put on your plate fuels your body, and a healthy diet can go a long way in preventing or reducing your risk for disease. Vitamins Supplements Healthy meal delivery services Foods for specific dietary needs

Mental Wellness

Medical Fitness : Mental health and physical health are closely tied together. Taking care of your mind is just as important as taking care of your body. Meditation devices Mental health coaching or mentoring

Alternative Health and Homeopathy

Sometimes, less conventional health solutions can offer promising results. If your doctor agrees, you may be able to use your HSA to try alternative or complementary medicine. Essential oils and diffusers Homeopathic medicine Alternative health practitioners

How To Get a Letter of Medical Necessity

You can obtain a Letter of Medical Necessity by speaking with your Kairos Health and Wellness provider about changes to your health and wellness routine you’d like to make. If you and your provider agrees it is the right choice, we will provide you with a Letter of Medical Necessity that will allow you yo buy specific products and services with your HSA money.

How To Use Your Letter of Medical Necessity

Once you’ve received your Letter of Medical Necessity, it’s important to use it exactly as intended. A single letter doesn’t give you full permission to make purchases outside of normal HSA eligibility. Letters are highly specific. They need to be followed accurately and stored with the appropriate documentation to prove your eligibility for certain purchases.

Follow Your Letter of Medical Necessity Specifically

Medical Fitness : If your Letter of Medical Necessity specifically says that your doctor wants you to purchase liquid vitamin B12, a purchase of vitamin B12 capsules wouldn’t be covered. It also wouldn’t cover a multivitamin supplement that contains vitamin B12 — a vague note leaves too much room for error, so there’s value in specificity. If you know specifically what you’d like to purchase, mention that to your doctor. If your Letter of Medical Necessity is purely based on your doctor’s suggestion, make sure they’re as specific as possible when naming what you’re supposed to purchase in the letter.