For 2026 Benefits Planning: New WEX and HSA Store®/FSA Store® Integration Simplifies Health Spending

The annual Open Enrollment period may be concluding, but for HR professionals, the work of maximizing employee benefits by pivoting to 2026 planning has already begun. At this same time, recent tax legislation has increased the market for eligible Health Savings Account (HSA) holders in 2026, creating a powerful opportunity for HR leaders to increase engagement and utilization around programs. There’s just one problem – technical jargon. 

For benefits and HR leaders looking to capitalize on this growth next year, the larger hurdle ahead is not operational; it is behavioral. Leaders must focus on shifting the value of HSAs away from just paying for prescriptions and towards positioning the account as a core financial planning tool for holistic health in order to see a difference in adoption and utilization. Additionally, to help bring this new focus to life, HR and benefits leaders can utilize modern tools, such as WEX’s new integration with Health-E Commerce’s HSA Store® and FSA Store®. 

The Misunderstood HSA: Simplifying its Benefits

For too long, the education around HSAs has focused on complicated tax advantages and contribution limits. New research from WEX and Visa highlights how including messaging emphasizing the functional and emotional benefits of HSAs resonates far more than the technical details. For instance, in WEX and Visa’s qualitative analysis of HSA account holders, users noted that “setting aside money for both routine and unexpected healthcare costs” provided “a sense of security and peace of mind.”

When employees understand that their HSA can act as a “weapon to combat inflation” or help deliver a true sense of “financial control,” they are empowered to see its potential long-term value as both a retirement savings vehicle and a health spending account.

Beyond this, HR and benefits leaders can also help spur HSA adoption rates by properly showcasing the surprising range of eligible expenses these accounts cover, especially in the growing area of high-tech and holistic wellness. For instance, individuals are often surprised to find that HSA dollars cover:

• For Stress and Sleep: Items like prescription or reading glasses with blue light for digital eye strain, therapy eye masks for migraines, and specialized pillows or wearable sleep trackers (like Oura Ring^™ or WHOOP^®) that monitor and improve sleep health are now often eligible.
• For Fitness and Recovery: Beyond basics, many massage guns (like Theragun^®), specialized foam rollers, and muscle stimulators can qualify as they aid in recovery and pain relief.
• For Everyday Relief and Monitoring: Accounts are helping people manage their health in real-time, on their own terms, covering items from acupressure wristbands for nausea to smart blood pressure monitors that connect seamlessly to your phone.

Once your employees are on board and considering a Health Savings Account, the next step to increasing engagement is by making the onboarding and spending process as simple and intuitive as possible, so that people can spend more time managing their health and less time managing receipts. 

Eliminating Friction: Technology that Boots Adoption

To combat fragmentation and confusion, WEX launched a new integration with Health-E Commerce’s FSA Store^® and HSA Store^®. The result? a single sign-on shopping experience that eliminates the clunky reimbursement process.

With this integration, employees will be able to access a curated, 100% eligible online marketplace directly from their WEX benefits portal instead of needing to guess. Additional features include:

• DirectPay: Ability to pay for eligible items directly from their HSA/FSA account, eliminating the need to enter card information, save receipts, or submit claims for reimbursement.
• Real-Time Balance: Opportunity for users to view a live account balance as they shop for maximum reassurance and confidence while they spend HSA/FSA funds.

Even further, with employees having more control over their HSA/FSA accounts and spending, less HR and benefits leaders intervention will be required – helping to save time and shift focus back to strategic work and planning instead of chasing forms.

As HR teams look ahead to benefits planning for 2026, these strategies and tools can help simplify communications and ensure employees feel confident about their benefits and empowered to maximize their value. Those who combine this clear communication with modern, integrated tools will build a stronger foundation of trust, empowerment, and value in the benefits they offer.

To learn more about these research findings and their impact on your benefits strategy, download our free white paper: “Maximizing HSA adoption and engagement – The power of segmentation to drive tailored messaging.”