What Is Brick
Brick is a small physical device that puts a little distance between you and the apps you keep opening. Choose the apps you want to block in the Brick app, then tap your phone against the device. To return to those apps, the usual route is to tap the phone against Brick again.
The gray block has a magnetic back, so it can live on the fridge while your phone stays with you. It needs no battery or charging. Brick costs $59, including its iPhone and Android app, with no app subscription. You choose which apps stay accessible, so blocking social feeds can leave calls, maps and other essentials available.
For a person whose provider recommends phone-use limits to manage a health condition, that physical separation can serve a specific medical purpose. A Letter of Medical Necessity connects the purchase to that care. Our mental-health HSA/FSA guide covers the broader range of eligible care.
Why Brick Qualifies for HSA/FSA
Brick qualifies with an LMN when a provider recommends limiting phone use to treat a diagnosed health condition and identifies Brick as the way to carry out that recommendation. The medical purpose belongs to the person receiving that care, whether that is you or your child.
IRS Publication 502 defines medical expenses as the costs of “diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease” and of the equipment needed for those purposes. A licensed provider connects Brick to your condition, or your child's, in your Letter of Medical Necessity, and that is what makes it HSA/FSA eligible.
Cutting phone time has also been tested directly. In a 2025 randomized trial of 111 healthy students, reducing smartphone screen time to two hours a day or less for three weeks improved sleep quality, stress, depressive symptoms and well-being. In another 2025 randomized trial of 467 adults, blocking mobile internet on their phones for two weeks improved sustained attention, mental health and well-being. Guidance and trials support limiting phone use for three health conditions:
- ADHD: The CDC includes limiting daily screen time among healthy habits for children with ADHD, alongside treatment such as behavior therapy and medication. For adults, the cognitive behavioral therapy for ADHD tested in a randomized trial of 86 adults teaches reducing distractions such as the internet and phone. When your provider recommends limiting apps to help you or your child stay focused, Brick can block the apps that pull attention away. If the patient is a child, the child's medical need supports the purchase.
- Anxiety: In a 2026 randomized trial of young people, those with elevated anxiety symptoms who cut social media to one hour a day for three weeks had clinically meaningful reductions in anxiety compared with controls, and the authors suggest that cutting back may be part of managing anxiety disorders in youth. In a 2022 randomized trial of 154 adults, a one-week break from social media reduced anxiety. When your provider recommends limiting social apps as part of anxiety care, Brick can block them.
- Insomnia: MedlinePlus guidance on changing sleep habits includes avoiding TV or computer use near bedtime. The CDC lists turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime among habits that can improve your sleep. When your provider includes a bedtime phone-use limit in your insomnia treatment, Brick can be the tool used to block the apps that keep you scrolling.
How to Get Brick Covered With a Letter of Medical Necessity
When phone-use limits are part of your care, there are two ways to get a Letter of Medical Necessity for Brick:
- Through Crates, typically in under 24 hours. Fill out a 2 to 3 minute online health assessment. A licensed provider reviews your answers and, if you qualify, issues your letter for Brick. It's valid for 12 months and renews each year.
- Through your own doctor, a few days to a few weeks. Book a visit, say you want to buy Brick with HSA/FSA funds, and ask them to document how limiting phone use with Brick helps manage your condition. Ask for a signed and dated letter. The visit may come with a copay.
How to Buy Brick With HSA/FSA Funds
Buy Brick wherever you like, then get the eligible cost back from your HSA or FSA.
- Get your Letter of Medical Necessity first. Use either route above, Crates or your own doctor, so the letter shows why Brick is part of your care.
- Buy Brick anywhere. Pay with your personal card, online or in store, and keep the itemized receipt showing the device and amount paid.
- Get your money back. With Crates one-click reimbursement, we file the claim for you, or you can upload the letter and receipt yourself. If you pay yourself back from an HSA, keep both with your tax records.
Which Brick Products Qualify
The Brick device and its included app qualify together when your LMN documents their use for your health condition. The app is part of the one-time purchase, so there is no separate app membership to buy. Brick lists the device at $59, checked October 18, 2026.
| Product | What it includes | Regular price | HSA/FSA eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brick | Battery-free app-blocking device with the Brick app | $59 | Yes, with an LMN |
Using HSA/FSA funds can save up to 30% through tax savings. At an illustrative combined 30% rate, the $59 price represents $17.70 in avoided taxes and an effective cost of $41.30. Your actual savings depend on your tax rates and how you fund the account.
