Quick answer: Yes. At Body In Focus Thermography, HSA and FSA funds can be used to pay for your thermal study. The important deadline is for FSA funds: in most plans, money left unspent at the end of the plan year (December 31, 2026, for calendar-year plans) is lost, and your appointment generally has to take place before that date, not just be booked. HSA funds roll over from year to year, so there is no December 31 deadline for an HSA.
If you've been meaning to schedule a thermal study, your remaining 2026 benefits may be the simplest way to pay for it, but only if you use them in time. As of this week, there are about 60 days left in the year, and December appointment days go first.
Can you use HSA or FSA funds for a thermography study?
Yes. Thermography is listed as an expense eligible for reimbursement with a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), a Health Savings Account (HSA), or a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA), and at Body In Focus, HSA/FSA can be used to pay for your session.
A few honest qualifications, because plans differ:
Most health insurance plans do not currently cover thermography directly. HSA/FSA payment is the route most of our clients use.
Your own plan's rules decide what documentation it needs. Before your appointment, it's worth a two-minute check with your plan administrator or benefits portal to confirm how thermography is treated under your plan and whether you should keep an itemized receipt. We can provide the documentation of your visit. Please ask when you book.
If your plan asks for additional paperwork from a healthcare provider, it's much easier to arrange that in November than in the last week of December.
What’s the difference between an HSA and an FSA at the end of the year?
This is where the urgency is, and it only applies to one of the two accounts:
FSA: use it or lose it. In most plans, FSA funds you haven't spent when the plan year ends are forfeited. For most people, the plan year ends Thursday, December 31, 2026. Some employers soften this in one of two ways (never both):
A grace period of up to 2½ extra months (to about March 15, 2027, for a calendar-year plan), or
A carryover of a limited amount into the next year, up to $680 for 2026 plans. Anything above that amount is still lost.
Some plans offer neither. Check which one yours has before you count on extra time.
HSA: no year-end deadline. HSA funds roll over year after year and stay yours. There's no December rush with an HSA, although there is still a good reason to schedule now, below.
Why does the appointment date matter, not just the booking date?
For an FSA, an expense generally counts when the service is received, not when you schedule it or pay for it. A study booked in December for a January appointment usually belongs to the new plan year, so it won't use up the 2026 funds you're about to lose.
Practically, that means:
Don't wait for December to call. Our partner locations in Nashville, Clarksville, Murfreesboro, and Cookeville run on set clinic days, and Hendersonville is our home office. Fewer open days remain as the year closes.
A November or early-December study also starts your clock sooner. Your first study establishes your thermal baseline, the reference your future studies are compared against. A baseline documented in 2026 is one you'll be glad to have in 2027 and beyond. (More on that in our next post: How Often Should You Get Thermography?)
How much is a thermal study at Body In Focus?
Every study includes comfortable, non-contact imaging that does not use ionizing radiation, physician review of your images, a physician-reviewed thermal report, copies of your images, and a complimentary consultation to go over your results. Reports are generally ready in about a week.
Breast Study Plus: $250. 19 thermal images: breasts, underarms, thyroid and dental/facial region, upper back and torso
Half Body Study: $350. 23 images, adding the abdomen and lower back
Full Body Study: $450. 35 images, head to toe
If you're new to thermography, start with What Is Medical Infrared Thermography? Everything You Need to Know, then How to Prepare for Your Thermography Appointment once you've booked.
What should you do this week?
Check your balance. Log in to your benefits portal and note your FSA balance and your plan's deadline, grace period, or carryover rule.
Book the appointment now, for a date before your deadline. Book online at bodyinfocusthermography.com/appointment or call 615-207-2840. Don't see a time that works? Call. We can usually accommodate you at the Hendersonville home office.
Keep your documentation. Save your receipt and your physician-reviewed thermal report with your benefits records in case your plan asks for them.
Frequently asked questions
Is thermography covered by insurance?
Most insurance plans do not currently cover thermography. Many clients find the investment worthwhile for the additional physiological information it provides, and HSA/FSA funds can be used to pay for the session.
Can I use FSA funds for a follow-up study, or only a first study?
The same payment route applies. A follow-up thermal study is the same kind of service as a first study. If your plan reimburses one, it generally treats the other the same way, but confirm with your plan administrator.
I only have an HSA. Should I still schedule before December 31?
There's no deadline pressure with an HSA, since funds roll over. The reason to schedule now is your baseline: thermal patterns are most useful when they're documented and compared over time, and that comparison can only start once your first study is done.
My plan has a grace period. Can I relax?
A grace period gives you a little more time (up to about March 15, 2027, for a calendar-year plan), but the same rule applies at the end of it: funds left after the grace period are lost, and the appointment has to happen within the window.
Ready to use your benefits instead of losing them?
Book your thermal study today at bodyinfocusthermography.com/appointment or call 615-207-2840. Body In Focus Thermography serves Hendersonville, Nashville, Clarksville, Murfreesboro, and Cookeville.
Medical thermography is an adjunctive, non-diagnostic imaging procedure that documents surface thermal patterns. It provides additional physiological information and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Thermography does not replace mammography or other medically recommended evaluations. This post is general information about health benefit accounts, not tax or benefits advice. Your plan's rules govern your account.
