Doulas & FSA

cedenton

Hello! I have a quick question.  My FSA says it will cover a doula with a letter of medical necessity.  However, I can't imagine in case in which a doula would be considered a medical necessity.  My doctor said the best he could do was say "in the best interest of the patient." To complicate things more I thought he could just write the letter and we'd see what happened, but there's actually a form on my FSA site that is considered the "Letter of Medical Necessity."  

The text above the signature says "I certify this service is medically necessary..."  I don't think he'll actually be willing to sign this form in which case I'll have him go ahead with his letter and see what happens.

My question: Has anyone been able to get doula costs reimbursed by their FSA? Why would they say they cover it, but then require a letter that no doctor would be able to write? UGH! Frustration!

Maybe if I were seeing a therapist for anxiety or something they could say it was medically necessary for my mental well-being. That's the only scenario I can imagine. 

sschwege

Why can't you just tell the doctor that the thought of labor/delivery makes you anxious and you know it would help you emotionally?  That seems like it turns it into a medical need.  In my experience it seems like doctors are pretty willing to stretch the 'medical necessity" to meet FSA.  Are you sure your doctor is behind you on having a doula? 

cedenton

Yes, actually, he was very supportive.  He cited research showing that doulas are very beneficial.  However, he couldn't ethically say it was a medical necessity, and I would agree with him.  It's only $200 so it's not the end of the world. It would just be nice.

cedenton

allierhiana1:

I just posted about this last week....

https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/65970936.aspx 

So what did YOUR OB say? 

cedenton

Thanks! I guess we'll have the info/experience for the coming MTB!

sschwege

cedenton:

Yes, actually, he was very supportive.  He cited research showing that doulas are very beneficial.  However, he couldn't ethically say it was a medical necessity, and I would agree with him.  It's only $200 so it's not the end of the world. It would just be nice.

So glad to hear it!  There should be more doctors like him! 

KatieP71312

My FSA said it was a covered expense and did not mention the letter. If it were me, I'd have him write his own letter to sign. I just did this with my MWs for prenatal massage. I told them I needed one, she told me to draft something up and she'd sign it at my appointment. She did and now my massages are covered! 

 Hope you get this covered! 

cedenton

Thanks for the info! I haven't heard back from my doc about whether he's willing to sign the form from the FSA site or write his own letter.

On another note I was able to add my FSA debit card to my PayPal account.  I have no idea if the charge will go through when I try to pay my doula, but it would be nice. That way I can deal with the paperwork headache later without having to pay out of pocket first.