Health-E Commerce® expands telehealth offerings with LifeMD™ to provide sleep treatments via FSA Store® and HSA Store®
DALLAS, June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Health-E Commerce, the parent brand of FSA Store and HSA Store, the first and leading online stores dedicated to selling only FSA- and HSA-eligible products and services, announced today that it has expanded its telehealth collaboration with LifeMD™, a leader in virtual care. This latest initiative gives FSA and HSA users affordable, convenient access to FDA-approved prescription sleep treatments at a time when better sleep care is urgently needed. According to the CDC, insufficient sleep is linked to higher risks of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and depression, which means expanded access to treatment is not just beneficial, it's essential.
The arrangement allows new customers who shop at FSA Store or HSA Store to receive 50% off prescription sleep medications from LifeMD, with no in-person appointments required. Following a free virtual consultation, approved patients can have non-addictive, physician-prescribed treatments discreetly delivered to their door, making it easier than ever to address sleep concerns with clinically backed solutions.
'The connection between sleep and our overall physical and mental health is undeniable, and poor sleep can even impact our productivity at work and our overall quality of life,' said Keri Kaiser, chief revenue officer for Health-E Commerce. 'The expansion of our telehealth collaboration with LifeMD gives consumers more options for diagnosing and treating sleep disorders and improving sleep health, while saving money by using tax-free FSA- and HSA-eligible services. We're proud to simplify access to care for millions of Americans and to maximize their healthcare dollars.'
Many individuals who experience poor sleep rely on over-the-counter remedies that may not be effective for persistent insomnia or sleep disruptions. Fortunately, LifeMD's prescription sleep solutions are designed to address the root causes of poor sleep with medications that target sleep onset, duration, and quality, including Ramelteon, Doxepin, and Trazodone. Eligibility for prescription treatments is determined by a licensed LifeMD physician and backed by LifeMD's 4.9-star patient satisfaction rating.
'We're proud to expand our telehealth collaboration with Health-E Commerce to give individuals and families who are enrolled in FSAs and HSAs access to clinical support to improve sleep health and their overall quality of life,' said Nicholas Alvarez, co-founder and chief acquisition & growth officer at LifeMD. 'Everyone deserves access to quality medical care that is convenient and affordable, and by collaborating with FSA Store and HSA Store, we are able to effectively extend the reach of our services to individuals and families across the country.'
LifeMD's sleep solutions are now available at FSAstore.com and HSAstore.com, alongside other telehealth services for home sleep apnea testing, CPAP devices and supplies, CPAP alternatives, and more. This launch reinforces Health-E Commerce's mission to make tax-free healthcare dollars work harder for the more than 70 million Americans enrolled in pre-tax health accounts. To learn more or access eligible sleep health services and products, visit FSAstore.com or HSAstore.com.
About Health-E CommerceHealth-E Commerce is the parent brand to FSA Store and HSA Store, online stores that serve the 70+ million consumers enrolled in pre-tax health and wellness accounts. The company also created Caring Mill®, a popular private-label line of health products through which a portion of every purchase is donated to the Children's Health Fund. Since 2010, the Health-E Commerce brands have led the direct-to-consumer e-commerce market for exclusively pre-tax health and wellness benefits. Health-E Commerce plays an essential role in expanding eligibility for important new product and telehealth categories within the list of eligible medical expenses.
About LifeMDLifeMD offers telemedicine, access to laboratory and pharmacy services, and specialized treatment across more than 200 conditions, including primary care, men's and women's health, weight management, and hormone therapy. The Company leverages a vertically-integrated, proprietary digital care platform, a 50-state affiliated medical group, and a U.S.-based patient care center to increase access to high-quality and affordable care. For more information, please visit LifeMD.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
20 hours ago
- The Sun
Vaccine panel conflicts at historic low when Kennedy fired members
CONFLICTS of interest on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine advisory committee were at historic lows around the time when Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members in June, new data published in a medical journal on Monday showed. Kennedy had said, based on findings from a 2007 report, that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) was rife with conflicts. The new study published in JAMA found that between 2000 and 2024, ACIP's annual reported conflict of interest rate declined from 42.8% to 5%. ACIP advises on which groups of people should take each vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and when they should be administered. Conflict of interest rates on the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), which advises the agency on whether to approve vaccines, have remained below 4% since 2010, including 10 years when it was 0%, the researchers also found. The most frequently reported conflict of interest was funding for research, which is generally considered less concerning than financial ties associated with personal income, the researchers said. The prevalence of conflicts related to personal income – such as from consulting, royalties, or stock ownership – had been below 1% for both committees since 2016. 'In the past, there have been high levels of reported conflicts on influential vaccine committees, but there has been substantial progress since the early 2000s,' study leader Genevieve Kanter of the Schaeffer Center at the University of Southern California said in a statement. 'Secretary Kennedy is right that conflict of interest is an important issue, but he is wrong that it is present at substantial levels on (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) vaccine advisory committees,' co-author Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and former FDA associate commissioner, said in a statement. Responding to the study, Department of Health and Human Services press secretary Emily Hilliard said, 'Secretary Kennedy is committed to eliminating both real and perceived conflicts to strengthen confidence in public health decisions.' Earlier this year, the agency launched its ACIP Conflicts of Interest Disclosures tool, she noted. - Reuters
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Malay Mail
Vapeonomics: How a ban risks repeating the cigarette mistake — Yugendran T. Kannu Sivakumaran
AUGUST 18 — With the recent news of the Ministry of Health looking into banning vapes due to their impact on health and society, it is high time we look into the ramifications this hardline approach could cause. Since the time of the prohibition in the 1920s in the United States, we have seen how a hardline stance like this can totally backfire, and with the MOH's current plan of a total ban, if implemented rashly or not holistically, we may see drastic consequences. Due to data on e-cigarettes being limited, we will look into a comparison with cigarettes to come to an understanding of why a total ban may be regressive. As it stands in 2024, 55 per cent of cigarettes are illicit. This costs the Malaysian government RM 5 billion annually in missed revenue. Now, when we look at this in the case of a total ban on e-cigarettes, the first thing is we are losing a taxable revenue source. From 2021 to 2024, e-cigarettes and vapes collected RM 183.1 million in tax revenue. Yes, this is a far cry from cigarettes, but as the vape market grows — with Malaysia being the 12th largest vape market in the world — we stand to lose not only this revenue but also risk the rise of an illicit market. This can lead to massive consequences, ranging from loss of revenue, as we see with the illicit cigarette market, to health consequences. Over the years, we have seen a decline in the illicit cigarette market share, from its all-time high of 63.8 per cent in 2020 to 55 per cent in 2024. This drop can be attributed to the increase in the MOHA budget, which rose from RM 16.9 billion in 2020 to RM 19 billion in 2024. The reason why we are bringing this up is that, in order to combat the illicit market that may arise from vapes, we will probably need to increase this budget in order to combat this illicit trade. This battle will be continuous and will cost taxpayers a pretty penny. In addition to that, banning may lead to the opposite outcome when it comes to health, as people who get their fix from the illicit market may use unregulated products that can cause life-threatening symptoms. One of the biggest criticisms of vapes comes from a sudden vape-related illness known as EVALI (E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury) that arose in 2019. This affected over 2,000 people in the United States, whereas in Malaysia in 2023, EVALI was suspected as a cause of death for a Malaysian vape user. But in the United States, it was found that most cases of EVALI were caused by counterfeit vape liquids that contained many more harmful toxins compared to regular liquids. These toxins ranged from pesticides to plasticisers. So, by banning, this can lead to the floodgates opening and allowing more toxic vapes into the Malaysian market, which can lead to a worse outcome for health. A hammer-down approach may sound appealing in theory, but without a holistic strategy, it is unlikely to be effective. Malaysia first needs a comprehensive plan to combat illicit trade at its borders, or else, even with a ban, the illicit market will grow — putting us right back at ground zero. In the meantime, rather than imposing a total ban, the government could focus on stricter regulations, such as standardising e-cigarette liquid formulas to ensure they do not contain harmful chemicals that cause immediate and severe health risks. By addressing the problem from a micro perspective rather than only the macro, we can work towards more effective reforms and a healthier Malaysia. *The author of this article is Yugendran T. Kannu Sivakumaran of Bait Al Amanah. Bait Al Amanah is an independent research institute that promotes policy and decision-making through sound, independent, and multidisciplinary research and analysis in areas of governance and democracy, economics, security, and issues of national importance. **This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Increase tobacco tax to RM0.77 per stick in 2026 budget, says think tank
Malaysia's tobacco tax currently accounts for 58.6% of retail prices, below the World Health Organization's recommendation of 75%. (Pixabay pic) PETALING JAYA : A health think tank today called for the excise duties on cigarettes and other tobacco products to be raised to at least RM0.77 per stick in the next federal budget. Azrul Khalib, CEO of the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, said raising the excise tax would lift its share of the retail price to 61% and bring in an additional RM771.8 million in revenue. 'Malaysia spends an estimated RM16 billion annually treating smoking-related illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and lung cancer,' he said in a statement. 'For every RM1 collected from tobacco excise duties, RM4 is spent on treating smoking-related diseases. We do not yet know how much will be spent on treating vape-related diseases.' Malaysia's tobacco tax currently accounts for 58.6% of retail prices, below the World Health Organization's recommendation of 75%. The excise rate has not been raised since September 2014, when it was increased from 28 sen to 40 sen per stick. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has indicated that the government is considering a hike. When announcing the 13th Malaysia Plan, he said the government would broaden its 'pro-health' tax beyond sugary products to cover tobacco, vapes and alcohol as well. He said the expanded tax framework aimed not only to increase revenue, but more critically, to encourage behavioural change and curb the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases. Separately, Azrul said the ban on the open display of cigarettes, vape and e-cigarettes under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 also needed to be carried out. He said enforcement had been delayed from April to October, allowing continued open sales. 'Experience from countries such as Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Australia with the display ban in place has shown that it works to reduce smoking initiation, which is common during adolescence,' he said.
