5 health benefits most Alberta employees overlook — including laser eye surgery, mental health coverage, custom orthotics, and wellness spending accounts. Don't leave money on the table.
Most Alberta employees know their benefits cover dental cleanings and prescription drugs. But those are just the obvious ones. Behind the familiar categories, your benefits plan likely covers services and expenses you've been paying for out of pocket for years — or expenses you've put off because you assumed they weren't covered.
Here are five benefits that catch people by surprise.
This is the one that surprises people most. LASIK and other laser vision correction procedures are eligible Health Spending Account expenses. A typical LASIK procedure in Edmonton runs $2,000–$4,000 for both eyes. If you've been putting it off because of cost, check your HSA balance — you may be able to cover a significant portion or even the full amount. Even if your HSA doesn't cover the entire procedure, it reduces your out-of-pocket cost substantially. And unlike annual expenses like glasses, laser eye surgery is a one-time cost that eliminates the need for corrective lenses going forward.
If your employer offers a Wellness Spending Account (separate from your HSA), it likely covers gym memberships, fitness classes, personal training sessions, yoga and pilates studio memberships, sports league registration fees, and even sports equipment like running shoes or a bicycle. Many employees don't even know they have a WSA, let alone what it covers. The average WSA in Alberta ranges from $300 to $1,000 per year. If you're paying out of pocket for any fitness or recreational activity, you should be checking whether your WSA covers it.
Most traditional benefits plans cap mental health visits at a certain number per year or a dollar maximum — often $500 or $1,000. But if you have an HSA, you can use it for additional sessions beyond what your regular plan covers. Sessions with a registered psychologist, clinical counsellor, psychotherapist, or registered social worker are all HSA-eligible. At $180–$250 per session in Edmonton, this benefit adds up quickly. Your HSA effectively doubles your mental health coverage.
Custom orthotics — the kind prescribed by a podiatrist, chiropractor, or physiotherapist and made from a mold of your foot — are a fully eligible HSA expense. A pair typically costs $400–$600. Medical compression stockings prescribed for conditions like varicose veins, chronic venous insufficiency, or post-surgical recovery are also covered. These are expenses that most people either pay out of pocket or skip entirely, not realizing their HSA covers them.
Here's where the Wellness Spending Account gets interesting for families. Many WSA plans cover children's recreational activities: swimming lessons, hockey registration, soccer league fees, dance classes, martial arts, music lessons, and art classes. If you're a parent in Edmonton, you're probably already spending hundreds of dollars a year on your kids' activities. Check your WSA — you may be able to claim some or all of it.
Three reasons. First, most employees only look at their benefits booklet when they first start a job and then never revisit it. Second, benefits providers do a poor job of communicating what's eligible beyond the basics. Third, finding a provider who accepts these benefits feels like too much effort, so people default to the familiar (dental cleanings, prescriptions) and ignore everything else.
The fix is simple: check your HSA and WSA balances today, look at the full list of eligible expenses, and find a provider. If finding a provider is the bottleneck, that's exactly the problem Health Spending Store was built to solve.
Q: How do I check my HSA and WSA balances?
Log into your benefits provider's website or app (Alberta Blue Cross, Manulife, Sun Life, etc.) or contact your HR department. Your balance shows how much you have left to spend before your plan resets.
Q: Can I use my HSA for a family member's laser eye surgery?
Yes. HSA funds can be used for eligible expenses incurred by you, your spouse, or your dependent children.
Q: What if my employer doesn't offer a WSA?
Not all employers offer a WSA. If yours doesn't, you're limited to your HSA for health-related expenses. You can suggest your employer add a WSA — it's a popular benefit that helps with recruitment and retention.
Q: Where can I find these providers in Edmonton?
Health Spending Store at healthspendingstore.com lets you search by postal code and category — including vision care, mental health, orthotics, fitness, and more. It's free and covers all 12 Edmonton zones.
Stop leaving money on the table. Search your benefits at healthspendingstore.com — 60 categories, 12 Edmonton zones, completely free.