Letter of Medical Necessity for Saunas and Cold Plunges: Is a Sauna HSA or FSA Eligible?
Infrared saunas, sauna blankets and cold plunge tubs can qualify for HSA or FSA reimbursement with a letter of medical necessity. Brands, prices, conditions, and how Burst files.
8 minute read
Short answer
A sauna or a cold plunge is a wellness purchase to your plan until a licensed clinician connects it to a diagnosed condition in a letter of medical necessity. With the letter attached, an infrared cabin, a sauna blanket or a cold plunge tub can qualify for reimbursement from your FSA, HSA or HRA. Without it, the claim is denied, because the receipt says "Plunge" or "Sunlighten" 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 sauna or cold plunge →
No letter, no charge. Claim denied, money back.
About two minutes to request · usually the same day · we file the claim for you.
Is a sauna HSA eligible? Is a cold plunge?
Neither is on any administrator's list of items that go through on a receipt alone. Both can qualify with a letter, and administrators approve them regularly when the letter names the condition and the equipment. The letter has to exist before you buy; after that, any store and any card work.
Brand by brand: what the letter can cover
Brand | Typical price | What the letter covers |
|---|---|---|
Sunlighten, Clearlight, Sun Home, Almost Heaven | Infrared and traditional cabin saunas, about $2,000 to $8,000 | The cabin is the claim. Delivery and electrical work billed separately are not. |
HigherDOSE, Bon Charge, SaunaSpace | Sauna blankets and near-infrared units, about $300 to $1,500 | A lower-cost way to get the same letter through. Blankets are claimed like any other device. |
Plunge, Ice Barrel, Sun Home, Renu | Cold plunge tubs and chillers, about $1,000 to $6,000 | The tub and its chiller are the claim when the letter names cold water therapy. |
Stock tank and chiller setups | About $300 to $1,500 in parts | The itemized parts can be claimed when the letter names cold water therapy; a bare hardware-store receipt for a tank alone usually cannot. |
Prices are approximate. The letter names a condition and the kind of therapy, not a brand.
What condition does the letter need to name?
For a sauna, clinicians most often document:
Chronic pain or fibromyalgia
Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or another joint condition
Hypertension or cardiovascular conditions where heat therapy is part of the plan
Depression, anxiety or insomnia
Chronic fatigue or long COVID
Chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis, under a dermatologist's guidance
For a cold plunge, the usual conditions are:
Inflammatory or chronic pain conditions
Recovery from surgery, injury or a supervised training program
Depression or anxiety where cold exposure is part of the treatment plan
Autoimmune conditions with inflammation as a documented symptom
"I saw it on a podcast" is not a diagnosis. A clinician documenting that heat or cold therapy is part of managing your named condition is what the letter says.
What is not covered, even with the letter
Hot tubs and spas bought as hot tubs. They are a gray area covered in the hot tubs, e-bikes and ski passes guide.
Electrical work, decking, plumbing or a shed for the sauna
Towels, robes, thermometers and other accessories bought alongside
A unit bought before the letter's date. Get the letter first, then buy.
Sauna and cold plunge memberships
Contrast therapy studios, bathhouse memberships and recovery lounges are recurring charges. When the letter names the therapy and the condition, each charge after its date can be claimed, and nothing changes at the studio. Already a member? Request the letter now; earlier charges cannot be claimed.
What a sauna really costs with Burst
Say the sauna is $2,500 and your combined federal and state marginal rate is about 30%. Paying for it from a pre-tax account means roughly $750 of income tax you never pay. The letter is $35, once, and covers the item for 12 months.
Sauna price | $2,500 |
Tax you skip at 30% | about $750 |
Your letter | $35 |
What the sauna really costs you | about $1,785 |
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 a sauna or cold plunge
Fill out the form at app.getburst.com/request-lmn. It asks about the condition you are managing and the a sauna or cold plunge 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 a sauna or cold plunge 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 on the Plunge or Sunlighten website?
It will be declined, because saunas and tubs are not coded as medical items. Pay with a regular card and Burst files for reimbursement with your letter.
Does the letter cover a sauna for the whole family?
The letter is written for one person and their condition. The unit can be claimed once, under that person's letter, even if the whole household uses it.
Is an infrared sauna treated differently from a traditional one?
No. The letter is about heat therapy for your condition; the heating method is your choice.
Can I claim a portable steam sauna or a sauna tent?
Yes, on the same terms. Lower-cost units are claimed exactly like cabins.
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 sauna or cold plunge →
Brands above are the ones people ask us about most. They are examples, not partners.
Keep going: Is Plunge HSA eligible?, Is Sunlighten HSA eligible?, Letter of Medical Necessity for Red Light Therapy, FSA/HSA for massage therapy.
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
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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