Can You Use HSA or FSA for Fitness Classes and Studios?

Short answer

Yes. Class packs, unlimited studio memberships, drop-in classes, and ClassPass plans can all be reimbursed from an FSA, HSA, or HRA when a licensed clinician has written a letter of medical necessity for a supervised exercise program before you paid. The studio will not run your HSA card at the desk, and it does not need to. You pay with your regular card, keep the receipt, and file the claim with the letter attached.

To do it this week: get a letter from Burst for $35, buy your pack or membership after the letter date, and send Burst the receipt so it can file for you.

Which studios and class formats can be reimbursed?

Any studio, from Orangetheory to a CrossFit box to a climbing gym, can be reimbursed the same way, because your plan is looking at the letter and the receipt rather than the brand. The table shows what the big names charge in 2026 and which have a letter partner on their own site. Prices vary by city; the ranges are published or reported figures.

Climbing gyms, masters swim programs, boxing gyms, and independent yoga or Pilates studios are not on the table because their prices are local, and they reimburse on exactly the same paperwork. A partner program is not a requirement. It is one way to get a letter, tied to that one brand, and the cost varies by studio.

Is a class pack or an unlimited membership easier to claim?

Both claim fine, and the difference is how many receipts you handle and when the purchase date lands. A class pack is one purchase on one date, so the whole pack must be bought after your letter is dated; how fast you use the classes does not matter to your plan. An unlimited membership drafts once a month, so each draft is its own dated purchase and a twelve month letter covers twelve drafts. Drop-ins mean a receipt per class, which is fine if you keep them and painful if you do not.

A worked example: Orangetheory Premier at $179 a month is $2,148 a year. Paid from an HSA, that money was never taxed. At a combined 25 percent federal and state rate, that is about $537 you keep, against a $35 letter. A Barry's 10-pack at $320 bought four times a year is $1,280, or roughly $320 back at the same rate.

How is a letter for fitness classes usually written?

The letter names you, the diagnosed condition, and the clinician's recommendation for a structured or supervised exercise program, and it often names the type of exercise that fits the condition. For chronic low back pain or osteoarthritis that tends to read as low impact strength and mobility work, which is where Pilates, barre, and yoga studios fit. For high blood pressure, prediabetes, high cholesterol, or weight related conditions it reads as regular aerobic and resistance exercise, which covers HIIT studios, cycling, CrossFit, and Orangetheory. For depression or anxiety it is usually regular structured exercise with the frequency spelled out.

What the letter does not need is the studio's name. A letter for a supervised exercise program supports the same claim whether you spend the year at CorePower or split it between two studios and a ClassPass plan. Wanting to look better for a wedding is not a condition, and a letter written around that will not hold up with your plan, which is why the intake asks about your health rather than your goals.

What receipt should I keep from ClassPass or a Mindbody studio?

Keep the payment receipt that shows the studio or ClassPass name, your name, the date charged, and the amount, because that is what your plan checks against the letter. ClassPass emails a receipt for each monthly plan charge; save those. Studios that run on Mindbody or Mariana Tek send a purchase confirmation email when you buy a pack or start a membership, and the app keeps a purchase history if you lose the email.

The mistake people make with studios is sending an attendance log. Your plan does not care that you went to 14 classes in March. It cares that you paid $179 on March 1. The second mistake is a screenshot of the credit card line, which shows "MINDBODY" or the processor's name instead of the studio and gets bounced.

How to get a letter for fitness classes

1. Fill out the form at app.getburst.com/request-lmn. It takes under two minutes and asks about the condition you are managing and the classes or studio you plan to use.

2. A licensed clinician reviews the request and, if a letter is appropriate, signs it and emails it to you, usually the same day. The fee is $35, once. If the clinician decides a letter is not appropriate, the $35 is refunded on its own.

3. Buy the pack or start the membership after the letter date, with any card you like. The studio does nothing differently.

4. Send Burst the receipt. Burst files the claim with your plan administrator, who pays you from your FSA, HSA, or HRA by deposit or check. If the plan denies the claim, the $35 is refunded too.

Frequently asked questions

Is ClassPass FSA eligible?

A ClassPass plan can be reimbursed with a letter for a supervised exercise program, as long as the credits are going to fitness classes. ClassPass does not take an FSA or HSA card at checkout; pay normally and claim the monthly charge.

Can I use my HSA card at Orangetheory?

Orangetheory studios do not run HSA or FSA cards for memberships. Members pay normally, get a letter (through the studio's Dr. B program or on their own), and claim the monthly charge with their plan.

Does yoga count differently from a gym?

Your plan treats a yoga or Pilates studio the same way it treats a gym: a personal expense unless a clinician has tied it to a diagnosed condition in a letter dated before you paid. The modality only matters in that it should fit the condition.

Can one letter cover both my gym and my studio?

A letter covers the program it describes, so if you use a gym and a studio, ask the clinician to describe both or get a letter for each. Separate letters keep each claim clean, and your plan administrator makes the final call on how a letter reads.

I used ClassPass credits on a massage. Is that covered?

An exercise letter covers exercise. A massage booked through ClassPass needs its own letter for a condition massage treats, such as chronic back pain, and the two should be claimed separately.

How long does the letter last?

Letters are usually written for twelve months. Get a new one before it lapses if you plan to keep claiming your membership, and time it so the renewal date lands before your next draft.

Keep going: Can You Use Your HSA or FSA for a Gym Membership?, Which Gyms Take HSA or FSA? Planet Fitness to Equinox, Is a Personal Trainer HSA or FSA Eligible?, and How to Use FSA and HSA for Massage Therapy.