HSA Eligible Expenses: Physiotherapy, Massage Therapy, and Chiropractic in Canada

Yes, physiotherapy, massage therapy, and chiropractic care are all eligible medical expenses that can be reimbursed through your Health Spending Account in Canada. If your business has an HSA, you can cover these costs with pre-tax corporate dollars -- saving you 30-50% compared to paying out of pocket.

Here is what qualifies and how to claim it.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is fully eligible. You do not need a doctor's referral or prescription to claim it through your HSA -- you just need to see a licensed physiotherapist. Whether you are recovering from an injury, managing chronic pain, or doing prehab before surgery, the full cost of your sessions is claimable.

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is eligible when provided by a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT). The key requirement is that your therapist must be licensed and registered with their provincial regulatory body. A relaxation massage at a spa from an unlicensed provider would not qualify, but treatment from an RMT does -- no doctor's referral needed.

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care is fully eligible. Like physiotherapy, you do not need a referral or prescription. As long as your chiropractor is a licensed practitioner, the full cost of your visits qualifies for tax-free reimbursement through your HSA.

Other Eligible Therapies

Several other hands-on therapies also qualify as HSA eligible expenses:

• Acupuncture -- fully eligible when provided by a licensed acupuncturist
• Osteopathy -- fully eligible when provided by a licensed osteopath
• Naturopathy -- eligible when provided by a licensed naturopath

The common thread is the same: the practitioner must be licensed or registered in their province.

HSA vs. Traditional Insurance for These Expenses

This is where an HSA really stands out. Traditional health insurance plans typically cap physiotherapy, massage, and chiropractic at $500 to $1,000 per year -- sometimes even less. If you need regular treatment, you burn through that limit in a few months and pay the rest out of pocket.

With an HSA, there are no per-service caps. You can use your full annual balance on whatever combination of therapies you need. If you want to spend your entire HSA allowance on physiotherapy and massage, you can. The flexibility is entirely yours.

How to Claim

Claiming these expenses through your HSA is straightforward:

1. See a licensed practitioner -- make sure they are registered with their provincial regulatory body
2. Get a proper receipt that includes the practitioner's name, registration number, date of service, type of treatment provided, and the amount paid
3. Submit your receipt through your HSA provider
4. Get reimbursed -- with Frontier Health, reimbursement is sent by e-transfer within 24-48 hours

The receipt details matter. If your receipt is missing the practitioner's registration number or does not clearly describe the service, it may be flagged for follow-up. A complete receipt makes the process fast and smooth.

Get Started with Frontier Health

If your business does not have an HSA yet, Frontier Health makes it easy to set one up. There are no monthly premiums, no setup fees, and no per-service caps on physiotherapy, massage, or chiropractic. Your business writes off every dollar as a tax-deductible expense, and your team gets the care they need -- tax-free.

For more details on what else your HSA covers, check out our complete list of eligible expenses or learn how a Health Spending Account works in Canada.

Related Reading

• HSA claim requirements -- What you need to submit a claim