Letter of Medical Necessity for Apple Watch: Is It HSA or FSA Eligible?
An Apple Watch can qualify for HSA or FSA reimbursement with a letter of medical necessity. Which models, which conditions, and how Burst gets you the letter for $35.
7 minute read
Short answer
An Apple Watch is a consumer electronic to your plan until a licensed clinician connects it to a diagnosed condition in a letter of medical necessity. With that letter attached, the watch and its health features can qualify for reimbursement from your FSA, HSA or HRA. Without it, the claim is denied every time, because the receipt says "Apple Watch" and nothing on it says why you need one.
Burst gets you that letter for $35 after a clinician reviews your request, and files the reimbursement claim for you. If the clinician decides a letter is not appropriate, or your plan denies the claim, the $35 is refunded.
Get the letter first, then buy. We handle the rest.
$35 once, about two minutes, and a licensed clinician signs your Letter of Medical Necessity, usually the same day if approved and always within 24 hours. Then buy from any store with any card, and Burst files the reimbursement claim for you, start to finish. If your administrator pushes back, we write the appeal.
20,000+ letters issued. Works with every FSA/HSA administrator.
Get reimbursed for my Apple Watch →
No letter, no charge. Claim denied, money back.
About two minutes to request · usually the same day · we file the claim for you.
Which Apple Watch models can the letter cover?
The letter names a condition and the kind of device that helps you manage it, so any current Apple Watch fits when the health features it carries are the ones the letter is about. The models people ask about most:
Model | Typical price | Health features that matter to the letter |
|---|---|---|
Apple Watch SE | About $250 | Heart rate, high and low heart rate alerts, fall detection, sleep tracking. The usual pick when the letter is about activity, sleep or fall risk. |
Apple Watch (numbered Series) | About $400 to $500 | Everything on the SE plus the ECG app, irregular rhythm notifications, sleep apnea notifications and temperature sensing. The usual pick when the letter is about heart rhythm or sleep. |
Apple Watch Ultra | About $800 | The Series features in a larger case with a longer battery. Fits the same letters; the price is about the case, not the sensors. |
Prices move with each release. Check apple.com before you buy; the letter does not name a price.
What condition does the letter need to name?
A wish to be healthier is not a diagnosis. The letter needs a condition that the watch helps you monitor or manage, and a clinician who agrees the device is part of the plan. The conditions clinicians most often document for an Apple Watch:
Atrial fibrillation or another heart rhythm disorder, where the ECG app and irregular rhythm notifications do the monitoring
Hypertension, where daily heart rate and activity data feed a treatment plan
Sleep apnea or a sleep disorder, using sleep tracking and sleep apnea notifications
Obesity or a weight management plan that includes activity and heart rate targets
Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes managed with a prescribed exercise program
Anxiety or a stress disorder monitored through heart rate variability
Cardiac rehabilitation after a heart event, where a clinician wants heart rate tracked during exercise
Fall risk in an older adult, where fall detection and emergency SOS are the point
"I want to close my rings" will not get a letter. "My cardiologist wants my resting heart rate and rhythm tracked between visits" will.
What is not covered, even with the letter
Bands, cases, chargers and AppleCare. Accessories and warranties are not medical items.
The cellular plan. That is a phone bill, not a device.
A second watch for a family member who does not have their own letter. Each person needs a letter written for their own condition.
A watch bought before the letter was issued. The letter covers what comes after it, never what came before.
Apple Watch or another wearable?
The letter is about the condition, not the brand. If a ring or a strap fits your life better, read the Oura Ring letter guide or the fitness tracker guide for Whoop, Garmin and Fitbit. The letter process is identical.
What a Apple Watch really costs with Burst
Say the Apple Watch is $429 and your combined federal and state marginal rate is about 30%. Paying for it from a pre-tax account means roughly $129 of income tax you never pay. The letter is $35, once, and covers the item for 12 months.
Apple Watch price | $429 |
Tax you skip at 30% | about $129 |
Your letter | $35 |
What the Apple Watch really costs you | about $335 |
Your actual savings depend on your plan and your bracket. This is an estimate, not a quote.
How to get a letter of medical necessity for an Apple Watch
Fill out the form at app.getburst.com/request-lmn. It asks about the condition you are managing and the an Apple Watch you have in mind. Under two minutes, $35 once.
A licensed clinician reviews the request. If a letter is appropriate, it is signed and in your inbox, usually the same day. If it is not, the $35 is refunded without you having to ask.
With the letter dated, buy the an Apple Watch wherever the price is best, with any card. Keep the itemized receipt that shows the model.
Send the receipt to Burst and Burst files the claim. Your administrator pays you out of your FSA, HSA or HRA by deposit or check. A denied claim means the $35 comes back to you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my HSA card at the Apple Store?
The card will be declined, because Apple is not coded as a medical merchant. Pay with any other card and Burst files the reimbursement with your letter.
Does the letter cover the Apple Fitness+ subscription?
Sometimes. When the letter describes a supervised exercise program and Fitness+ is the program, the monthly charge can be claimed from the letter date forward. Ask for it to be named in the letter.
My employer gave me a wellness stipend. Can I still claim the watch?
You can claim only what you paid yourself. If the stipend covered part of the price, the claim is for the rest.
Is a refurbished or used Apple Watch covered?
Yes, if the receipt is itemized and dated after the letter. Refurbished units from Apple come with a normal receipt; a private sale usually does not, and the claim needs one.
Will my HSA or FSA administrator accept it?
Yes. Administrators want a signed letter from a licensed clinician that names your condition and the item, and that is exactly what you get. Burst works with every FSA/HSA administrator, including HealthEquity, Fidelity, WEX, HSA Bank, Inspira, Optum and Further. If one pushes back, we write the appeal. If the claim is denied, you get your $35 back.
Do I need to see a doctor?
No. Answer a few questions online and a licensed clinician in the Burst network reviews them. No appointment, no copay, no waiting room.
What if I am not approved?
You pay nothing. No letter, no charge.
Who files the reimbursement claim?
We do, start to finish. Send us the receipt and Burst files the claim with your administrator; the money comes back to your bank account.
Get reimbursed for my Apple Watch →
Brands above are the ones people ask us about most. They are examples, not partners.
Keep going: Letter of Medical Necessity for Oura Ring, Letter of Medical Necessity for a Fitness Tracker, How to get a letter of medical necessity online.
If you are not sure whether your situation fits, hit reply on any Burst email or write to support@getburst.com. We read every one.
Thanks,
Shubhi
Co-Founder at Burst
Last updated: September 2026
This guide is not medical advice. Your eligibility depends on your specific situation and your plan administrator's interpretation of IRS rules. Burst's clinicians make eligibility decisions on a case-by-case basis.
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