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Your heart rate. Your gut. Your inflammation. Your mood.
One nerve regulates all of it, and most people have never heard of it.
It's called the vagus nerve. It runs from your brainstem to your gut, the longest cranial nerve in the human body, and acts as the internal communication highway between your brain and the organs that keep you alive. When it functions well, your body stays in "rest and digest" mode, calm, recovering, processing. When it does not, the consequences show up as anxiety, chronic inflammation, poor digestion, and elevated stress.
What most HSA holders miss: the device that helps regulate it may be eligible for purchase with pre-tax funds.
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Shop Vagus Nerve Devices
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Why It Matters Now
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A growing body of clinical research is demonstrating that stimulating the vagus nerve, non-invasively from outside the body, can produce measurable improvements in conditions ranging from migraines to anxiety to inflammatory disorders. Studies of nVNS in migraine patients have shown meaningful reductions in monthly migraine days versus sham treatment, and broader research on vagus nerve stimulation points to improvements in autonomic balance, including heart rate variability, a key indicator of stress resilience.
The technology is straightforward. Handheld nVNS devices deliver mild electrical pulses through the skin on the neck, activating the vagus nerve without surgery or implants. Sessions take about two minutes. Devices like Truvaga by electroCore, a consumer nVNS device from the makers of the FDA-cleared prescription device gammaCore, are now available direct-to-consumer, making this category accessible outside of clinical settings for the first time.
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The Eligibility Angle
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Here is what most people do not realize: for qualified individuals with a diagnosed condition, anxiety disorders, chronic migraines, inflammatory conditions,
vagus nerve stimulation devices may be eligible for purchase with HSA/FSA funds. The qualification is condition-based, not product-based. If a healthcare provider determines the device is medically necessary for a qualifying condition, your pre-tax health dollars could cover it.
This is one of those categories that most HSA/FSA holders have no idea exists. The same funds that cover prescriptions and lab work could also cover a device that helps regulate your nervous system. The data suggests it is worth paying attention to.
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What’s in Dan Goldberger's health stack?
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We caught up with Dan Goldberger, CEO of
electroCore (makers of
Truvaga), to hear what’s in his health stack. He keeps things deliberately simple.
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Shop Health Tech
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Morning
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His mornings start early with a few minutes outside, fresh air and natural light to set the tone before any screens or emails. Before diving into work, he does a two-minute vagus nerve stimulation session to start the day focused and composed rather than reactive. From there, it is black coffee, plenty of water, and some form of cardio or outdoor movement. When the season allows, skiing.
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Midday
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The middle of his day is built around small resets between dense meeting stretches. Before important conversations, he takes two minutes to regulate and refocus, a habit he credits with helping him show up calm and deliberate. Lunch is straightforward: protein, healthy fats, and foods that support steady energy through the afternoon.
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Evening
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Evenings are about transitioning out of work mode. Dan steps away from screens, does another short vagus nerve stimulation session to signal the day is winding down, and focuses on a consistent sleep window with dimmed lights.
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Parting Advice?
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"Keep things simple. Get outside, move your body, sleep well, and find a few routines that help you reset during the day. You do not need to overcomplicate it, you just need to actually do it consistently."
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Dan Goldberger
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CEO of
electroCore (makers of
Truvaga)
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Vagus nerve stimulation devices like Truvaga may be HSA/FSA eligible for qualified individuals.
Disclosure: Dan is the CEO of electroCore, the company behind the Truvaga vagus nerve stimulation device featured in this issue's editorial. His health stack naturally includes the technology his company builds.
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Partner News You Should Know
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The Cold Tub Tied To Today's Topic
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Cold immersion is one of the strongest non-invasive ways to activate the same vagus nerve pathway today's editorial covers. Plunge builds the cold tubs and saunas that have become a staple of the health podcast circuit, and for qualified customers, products from the Plunge Pod to The Sauna may be HSA/FSA eligible through Truemed.
Shop Plunge with your HSA/FSA →
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Gold Insoles, Now Eligible (Plus 20% Off)
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VKTRY Gold Carbon Fiber Insoles — the aerospace-grade soles built for joint impact and recovery — may now be HSA/FSA eligible for qualified customers through Truemed. For a limited time, VKTRY is running 20% off sitewide, 30% off orders $199 or more, and free shipping on every order. Stack savings and don't let your pre-tax health dollars go to waste.
Shop VKTRY with your HSA/FSA →
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BLOG OF THE WEEK
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Can You Use an HSA for Therapy and Mental Health Services?
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Mental health spending in the United States has risen dramatically in recent years, but there continues to be confusion about whether therapy and counseling, not to mention digital tools that support mental health, can be paid for with Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). The good news is that these things can indeed be paid for with your HSA or FSA when you have the proper documentation.
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"It helps me to afford a gym membership and manage my mental health."
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~ Truemed Customer
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Your HSA/FSA funds are not just for prescriptions and lab work. For this customer, Truemed made a gym membership accessible, supporting both physical and mental health with pre-tax dollars.
That is exactly how these accounts are supposed to work.
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*Truemed is for qualified customers. HSA/FSA tax savings vary. Learn more at truemed.com/disclosures
The content of Truemed emails are intended for informational and educational purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice. It is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment.
We curate featured partners that share our commitment to true medicine. When you buy through Truemed links, we may earn a commission.
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