A friendly budget reminder from your local Benefits Advisor

[ColoradoLime]

Don't forget if you have a healthcare Flexible Spending Account that most over the counter medication and first aid items (even some sunscreen!) is eligible for reimbursement!

Aetna has a fabulous list of eligible items on their website for reference: http://www.aetna.com/fsa

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

Thanks for posting this. We have our FSA through Aetna and I did not realize that sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher is a qualified expense. That's great!

 

[distherapy]

I'm kicking myself (well, really, my husband). He completely forgot to check the HCRA button this year during enrollment. Doh!

 

[TiggerStac]

Thanks for posting...I thought parking fees were included, but wanted to check my company and haven't got a chance to.

DS was in Mass General for 4 days and parking sure does add up!

 

[horseshowmom]

I know that you can get mileage (check with them for the per mile amount) and hotel reimbursement (check with them for the amount) if you're referred out of town (I had to take our daughter to an out of state specialist).

 

[NotUrsula]

Woo-hoo! When did they add sunscreen? I'm due a WHOLE bunch of money now, because we really use a lot of it.

UPDATE: Well, it appears I'm not. I just checked my provider's (UHC) list, and they specifically state that sunscreen is only eligible if prescribed by a physician for a person with a past history of skin cancer or other skin condition that makes sun exposure unusually hazardous. I'm trying to ward OFF skin cancer (family history), so I guess that I can ask my dermatologist, but it looks like no one in my family technically qualifies.

 

[JodiR]

HSA and FSA are different, correct?

My dh's insurance is a high deductible plan which makes him elgible for the HSA. He can write checks off the account instead of turning in receipts (which I think is happens with FSA).

Also, the HSA account rolls over from year to year. Plus any interest earnings are tax-free and withdrawals are tax-free.

 

[Free4Life11]

I'm pretty sure if it's an eligible expense for an FSA it should qualify for an HSA.

 

[andrews_dad]

My taxed income goes down $7K a year thanks to these programs. $5 K from Dependant Care and $2K for health stuff. Love them!!!

 

[ColoradoLime]

UPDATE: Well, it appears I'm not. I just checked my provider's (UHC) list, and they specifically state that sunscreen is only eligible if prescribed by a physician for a person with a past history of skin cancer or other skin condition that makes sun exposure unusually hazardous.

This is not true - Providers don't get to decide what is or is not eligible, only the IRS does.

I would question your provider's information as I have in fact have been reimbursed for sunscreen (45 SPF).

 

[NotUrsula]

True enough, but I'm not willing to go toe-to-toe with them unless I have a list direct from the IRS that contradicts them. I can't find such a list. You wouldn't by any chance know where I could find it, would you?

UPDATE: OK, I did some looking around, and according to the IRS, sunscreen is classed as a "dual-purpose" item. Things on the dual-purpose list are essentially iffy, and the IRS allows plan managers to require a prescription for reimbursement for those if they want to do so. Mine wants to do so.

I looked at every bit of plan documentation I could find online, from all kinds of providers. It turns out that they are all over the place on sunscreen. There are several plans, like United, that require a scrip before they will reimburse. Others set an SPF rating limit: some use 15, some 30, others 45. Several say that they SPF rating must be noted on the receipt or they won't reimburse.

Bottom line seems to be that sunscreen is an item that the plans get some leeway to decide on, and some plans may be more strict than others.

 

[bumbershoot]

Just the other day there was a post about sunscreen, and the IRS list wasn't all that specific. I know that our different FSAs have had different things they cover, so I really DO believe that it can be provider-specific. I could be wrong, but it seems the IRS has an overall concept list, then the specific places can narrow it down.

We have a flex plan through wageworks, and SPF 30+ is indeed allowed. This year. Not sure about last year.

 

[Ava]

I love my FSA, I pay for as many things as I can with it.

Most major stores now print on the receipt if an item is FSA-eligible; there will be an "F" or a "+" or something next to the item. (Target, Walgreens, & Duane Reade are three I know of off-hand that do this.) Check your receipts and see if your sunscreen is marked as eligible. Even if it's not, you can always try submitting it. The worst they can do is reject your claim. I've had a few instances where I didn't know something was eligible but it showed up on my receipt as an eligible item, so I sent in a claim and was reimbursed.

 

[patsal]

No sunscreen is eligable with my plan, but you can get the after you burn treatment--apparantly, they prefer to be reactive rather than proactive!