September is national preparedness month, and I want to show you how your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) card can help prepare your family for the next disaster, while also helping you save money! Being ready for any emergency or natural disaster is crucial since you never know when one might come up. Having a robust first aid kit can even help your family during a health emergency, perhaps preventing a costly trip to urgent care or providing care until paramedics arrive. These will make dealing with those minor injuries much easier.
Have you ever wondered what should be handy in case of a common health emergency at home or while out with your family? Or have you ever thought of having an emergency preparedness kit but didn’t know what items would make the essentials list? Or do you simply want to know what goes into a standard first aid kit? Are you ready to set up your must-have checklist for your emergency preparedness kit? If you answer yes to any of these, then you’re reading the right article. Today we are going to talk about twelve top FSA and HSA eligible products you just must have handy for most emergencies.
If you don’t want to assemble your own first aid kit, scroll down to the end for BONUS recommendations on FSA eligible first aid kits!
Let’s get into it then!
Bandages
These come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Choosing the right one(s) for your family will depend on several factors. Factors such as the age of your dependents (if any) and the kinds of injuries you suspect might occur will come into play.
Most shoppers on Amazon looking for bandages end up buying Band-aid. That is because they have bandages for everyone, and they’re made by the Johnson and Johnson company, a reputable brand. Because of this, it’s easy to assume that Band-aid is the best bandage brand on Amazon. However, there are plenty of other brands that offer just as good (or better) products for less money than Band-aid does. Brands like Curad tend to be a great value, while brands like Welly offer fun designs and come in a reusable tin. Whatever brand you pick, it is important that the bandage you buy is the right size, shape and type for your injury. For example, if you have a cut on your finger, you’ll want to buy a square bandage that is small enough to fit on top of the cut without overlapping it too much.And you can rest assured that all bandages are eligible for coverage under your FSA and HSA cards.
Sterile gauze dressings
These products are for when some cuts or bruises need to be covered. You don’t want to cover them with any ordinary dirty or germ-carrying cloth. Having these gauze dressings that are sterile and free of micro-organisms and germs available is the way to go! This item also comes in various sizes – small, medium, or large. You may choose to have a mixture of sizes.
In addition to covering wounds, these pads also serve as an absorbent layer for wound irrigation or cleaning solution before applying bandages over them. This helps keep your hands clean while treating wounds on yourself or someone else.
Elastic bandage wraps
This FSA eligible product are essentially elastic wraps. They are great for comfortably holding in place any gauze you might have placed on a cut. The elastic bandage wrap is an alternative to bandages use in some cases, but be careful with what wound you’re trying to treat. There are also some injuries where using a elastic bandage is the only option that will work. For those times, having one or two in your first aid kit is priceless.
Rubber tourniquet
Although bandages, gauze and other methods may not stop severe bleeding completely, tourniquets are one of the most effective ways to do so in an emergency. However it is important that whoever wears a tourniquet knows how to properly apply—and release—one. Authorities recommend removing a tourniquet every 10–15 minutes and allowing blood flow back into the area under pressure before reapplying if needed.
Cold packs
Cold or Ice packs are usually sealed in plastic or rubber and can be placed on body parts to reduce swelling. This technique is also used to numb pain caused by injuries in many cases, though great care should be taken as certain kinds of ice pack may not work well for a particular application. Because they are a pain relief tool, that’s what makes them FSA eligible. If you are looking for additional FSA and HSA eligible pain relief recommendations, click here!
Lubricating jelly
Having a multipurpose lubricant in your first aid kit is a brilliant idea. It is useful for various things, for example when you have a case of friction burn to deal with. A good example of this is the well-known petroleum jelly. Its soothing and shielding effect is bound to come in handy for one or two minor emergencies.
Hydrocolloid Dressings
You may be able to use a hydrocolloid dressing or bandage to help treat your burn. And according to Men’s health and thanks to a recent Tik Tok Trend, it was discovered that the popular Hydro-Seal bandages from Band-aid helped with pimples.
Hydrocolloid dressings are usually transparent and stick to the skin, forming a gel that seals out bacteria while the wound heals.
They’re ideal for treating burns, blisters and pressure ulcers because they don’t stick to the skin like traditional bandages do. This means they won’t leave a residue on your skin when you remove them.
The gel layer allows oxygen and water vapour to pass through it. This helps keep your wound moist and prevents it from drying out too quickly.
You can buy hydrocolloid dressings over-the-counter or online at places like Amazon, CVS, Walgreens, and more.
If you have a serious burn or blistering skin condition like erysipelas, seek medical attention without delay as these conditions can cause serious complications if left untreated.
Disposable sterile gloves
Handling injuries, cuts, and bruises can be challenging. You don’t want to make things worse by soiling the wound with the germs from your hands. Disposable sterile gloves are just the product to have for such times. Putting them on allow you to manipulate sterile dressings on any wound safely. No fear of contamination here! With these gloves, you’re safe and sound. They protect you and your loved ones.
Scissors
This is another essential tool in your first aid kit. Your box is not complete without this as a part of its contents. Cutting plasters to shape or size. Or dividing up crepe bandages. The scissors are a hardworking part of your emergency preparedness kit. You just must have this product in the kit.
Antihistamine medications
Antihistamines are available in many forms, including pills, liquids and nasal sprays. These medications can help relieve symptoms such as an itchy or runny nose; sneezing; postnasal drip (a combination of discharge and congestion that occurs when the tube draining your sinuses becomes plugged); and sinus congestion. Both prescription and over the counter medication are FSA and HSA eligible purchases. Having antihistamines in your first aid kit is great for those sudden allergic reactions to food or animals, great for guests, and is a good idea for those who suffer from allergies on a regular basis.
Pain Medication
These are also known as pain relievers or pain killers. To relieve pain during a first aid emergency is vital. Drugs such as paracetamol (acetaminophen) are appropriate and come in various doses and sizes. Other drugs such as ibuprofen and aspirin are also good. Do take care not to give aspirin to children below 16 years of age.
FSA and HSA Eligible First Aid Kits
Not interested in stitching together your own FSA eligible first aid kit for your family? See below
So there you have it! These are the twelve super-essential products that just have to be in your family’s first aid kit. These twelve items on the emergency preparedness checklist are must-have content. Always keep the first aid kit out of reach of small children. Also, ensure the first aid manual is handy and the products are not expired before they are replaced.