HSA Eligible Expenses in Canada: Complete 2026 List
Health Spending Accounts in Canada cover over 140 categories of CRA-eligible medical expenses, including dental, vision, prescriptions, physiotherapy, massage therapy, mental health, fertility treatments, medical devices, and much more. Every item on this list can be reimbursed tax-free through your HSA.
This is the complete list of HSA eligible expenses in Canada for 2026. Every item here is a medical expense recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) under Section 118.2 of the Income Tax Act. If your business has an HSA (also called a PHSP or Health Spending Account), these expenses can be reimbursed with pre-tax corporate dollars — saving you 30-50% compared to paying out of pocket.
How HSA Eligible Expenses Work
The CRA maintains a list of medical expenses that qualify for the Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC). These same expenses are eligible for reimbursement through a Health Spending Account, but with a key difference: instead of a 15% federal tax credit, an HSA lets your corporation deduct the full amount as a business expense. The employee receives the reimbursement completely tax-free.
Some expenses are straightforward — dental work, prescriptions, eyeglasses. Others require a prescription from a medical practitioner, a specific certification, or a T2201 Disability Tax Credit Certificate. We've noted these requirements in each category below.
Dental
Dental expenses are some of the most commonly claimed HSA expenses. Everything from routine cleanings to major procedures qualifies.
- Dental services — cleanings, fillings, extractions, root canals, and X-rays
- Dentures and dental implants
- Orthodontic work — braces and retainers
- Invisalign — clear aligners as orthodontic treatment
Vision & Eye Care
Vision expenses go well beyond basic eye exams. Corrective surgery, specialty lenses, and prescription eyewear are all covered.
- Eyeglasses, contact lenses, and prescription swimming goggles
- Laser eye surgery (LASIK)
- LASEK
- PRK
- SMILE laser eye surgery
- ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens)
- Refractive lens exchange
- Optical scanners — for persons with a visual impairment
Prescriptions & Medications
Prescription drugs and certain medical substances are fully eligible. Over-the-counter medications generally are not, with a few exceptions.
- Prescription drugs and medications — the most commonly claimed HSA expense
- Insulin or substitutes
- Liver extract injections — for treating pernicious anemia
- Vitamin B12 — for treating pernicious anemia (requires prescription)
- Vaccines
- Medical cannabis — requires authorization from Health Canada
- Drugs and medical devices under Health Canada's Special Access Program
- Over-the-counter medications — generally not eligible unless prescribed
- Supplements and vitamins — only eligible when prescribed by a medical practitioner
Therapy & Rehabilitation
Mental health, physical therapy, and specialized rehabilitation programs all qualify.
- Therapy — physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture, psychotherapy, and other treatments by licensed practitioners
- Rehabilitative therapy
- Personalized therapy plan
- Treatment centre — substance abuse and addiction treatment
- Training — caring for a relative with a mental or physical impairment
- Tutoring services — for persons with a learning disability (requires certification)
- Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) — requires prescription
- Cancer treatment
- Electrolysis — only eligible when medically necessary
- Pre-natal and post-natal treatments
Medical Devices & Equipment
Medical devices range from common items like blood pressure monitors to specialized hospital equipment. Many require a prescription.
- Assisted breathing devices (CPAP, ventilator)
- Blood pressure monitors
- Blood coagulation monitors — for persons on blood thinning medication
- Heart monitoring devices
- Baby breathing monitor — for infants at risk of sudden infant death syndrome
- Pacemakers
- Infusion pump — including insulin pump
- Injection pens (insulin pen)
- Needles and syringes
- Kidney machine (dialysis)
- Oxygen and oxygen tent
- Oxygen concentrator
- Phototherapy equipment — for treating psoriasis and other conditions
- Electrotherapy devices
- Electronic bone healing devices
- Osteogenesis stimulator
- Pressure pulse therapy devices
- Extremity pump
- Hospital bed
- Artificial eye or limb
- Breast prosthesis
- Catheters, trays, and tubing
- Ileostomy and colostomy pads
- Diapers or disposable briefs — for persons with incontinence due to illness or injury
- Elastic support hose — requires prescription
- Truss for hernia
- Mobile apps for blood glucose management
Mobility & Accessibility
Equipment and modifications that help with mobility impairments are broadly covered.
- Wheelchairs and wheelchair carriers
- Walking aids (canes, walkers)
- Crutches
- Scooter — power-operated for persons with a mobility impairment
- Braces for a limb — including stockings, walking casts, and boots
- Spinal brace
- Orthopaedic shoes, boots, and inserts
- Standing devices — for persons with a mobility impairment
- Bathroom aids — grab bars, grips, and rails
- Lift or transportation equipment (power-operated) — including stairlifts and wheelchair lifts
- Chair (power-operated)
- Van — modifications for wheelchair access
- Vehicle device — designed for persons with a mobility impairment
Hearing & Speech
Hearing loss and speech impairment expenses include devices, services, and accommodations.
- Hearing aids and personal assistive listening devices
- Cochlear implant
- Bone conduction receiver
- Acoustic coupler
- Volume control feature (additional) — for telephone
- Teletypewriters
- Electronic speech synthesizers
- Laryngeal speaking aids
- Altered auditory feedback devices — for treating a speech disorder
- Audible signal devices — bells, horns, and visible signals for persons with a hearing impairment
- Visual or vibratory signalling device
- Television closed-caption decoders
- Real-time captioning
- Sign language interpretation services
- Deaf-blind intervening services
- Bliss symbol boards
Fertility & Reproductive Health
Fertility treatments are among the most expensive medical costs Canadians face. All of these qualify for HSA reimbursement.
- In vitro fertilization (IVF)
- IVF (overview)
- Egg and sperm freezing and storage
- Fertility-related procedures — donor of sperm, ova, eggs, or embryos, and surrogate mother expenses
- Birth control devices (non-prescription)
Medical Travel
If you need to travel for medical care, transportation expenses can be claimed — including some scenarios most people don't know about.
- Ambulance service
- Travel expenses (less than 40 km) — generally not eligible
- Travel expenses (at least 40 km) — transportation costs to access medical care
- Travel expenses (at least 80 km) — transportation, meals, and accommodation
- Travel expenses outside of Canada
- Medical services outside Canada
Home Modifications
When medical conditions require changes to your living space, many renovation and modification costs qualify.
- Renovation or construction expenses — accessibility modifications for persons with a severe mobility impairment
- Driveway access — modifications for persons with a mobility impairment
- Air conditioner — for persons with a chronic respiratory or cardiovascular condition
- Air filter, cleaner, or purifier — for persons with respiratory conditions
- Water filter, cleaner, or purifier
- Furnace — for persons with a severe chronic respiratory illness
- Moving expenses — when moving to accessible housing due to a disability
- Radon testing — not eligible
Attendant Care & Services
Support services for persons with disabilities and impairments are eligible.
- Attendant care and care in a facility — group home, nursing home, and respite care
- Nurse — private duty nursing care
- Service animals — costs for animals trained to assist with a disability
- Note-taking services — for persons with a disability
- Reading services — for persons with a visual impairment
- Diaper services — for persons with incontinence due to illness or injury
Other Eligible Expenses
These are commonly overlooked expenses that many HSA holders don't realize they can claim.
- Medical services by medical practitioners — doctors, specialists, and licensed practitioners
- Hospital services
- Laboratory procedures and services — including COVID-19 tests
- Tests — diagnostic tests ordered by a medical practitioner
- Certificates — medical certificates required for tax purposes
- Whirlpool bath treatments — only when prescribed by a medical practitioner
- Gluten-free food products — the incremental cost for persons with celiac disease
- Wigs — for persons who have suffered abnormal hair loss from disease, treatment, or accident
- Bone marrow transplant
- Organ transplant
- Computer peripherals — for persons with a disability
- Devices or software — for persons with a disability
- Voice recognition software — for persons with a disability
- Braille note-taker devices
- Braille printers and synthetic speech systems
- Large print on-screen devices
- Talking textbooks
- Page-turner devices
- Environment control system — computerized or electronic for persons with a severe disability
- Personal response systems — Lifeline, Health Line, and similar services
- School for persons with a mental or physical impairment
- Premiums paid to private health services plans
- Provincial and territorial health care plans
- Health plan premiums paid by an employer — not eligible if not included in income
What's NOT Eligible
A few items people commonly ask about that do not qualify:
- Cosmetic surgery — liposuction, hair replacement, filler injections, teeth whitening
- Athletic or fitness club fees — gym memberships are not eligible
- Organic food — the premium for organic food is not a medical expense
- Over-the-counter medications — unless prescribed by a practitioner
How to Claim HSA Expenses
With Frontier Health, claiming is straightforward:
- Get treatment or buy an eligible item — keep your receipt
- Submit a photo of your receipt through the Frontier Health app
- Get reimbursed by e-transfer within 24-48 hours
The reimbursement is a 100% tax-deductible business expense for your corporation, and it's completely tax-free for you as the employee. No forms, no paperwork, no waiting weeks for a cheque in the mail.
Maximize Your HSA
Most business owners barely scratch the surface of what their HSA covers. A few tips:
- Check this list before paying out of pocket — you might be surprised what qualifies
- Keep all receipts — even if you're not sure it's eligible, submit it and let your administrator check
- Don't forget travel — if you drive 40+ km to see a specialist, the mileage is claimable
- Dependents are covered too — your spouse and children's expenses are eligible under your HSA
- Prescription matters — many items that aren't normally eligible (vitamins, orthotics, massage) become eligible with a doctor's prescription
For a full breakdown of how HSAs work for Canadian businesses, read our practical guide for business owners.
This list is based on the CRA's eligible medical expenses under Section 118.2 of the Income Tax Act. Eligibility may depend on individual circumstances, prescriptions, and certifications. When in doubt, contact us — we're happy to check if a specific expense qualifies.
Related Reading
- dental expenses covered by HSAs -- Dental coverage details
- vision and eye care expenses -- Vision and eye care coverage
- prescription drug coverage -- Drug and medication coverage
- physiotherapy, massage, and chiropractic -- Paramedical coverage details
- mental health and therapy expenses -- Therapy and counselling coverage
- HSA claim requirements -- What you need to submit a claim