Last Chance To Use Your Flexible Savings Account!

Posted on March 11, 2008 by Melissa 
Filed Under Medical

If you have a Flexible Savings Account, or FSA, you know how complicated tracking all your medical expenses can be. If you haven’t been keeping up with the receipts it can be a real chore to get organized, especially now that there is a looming deadline.

From our employer’s website:

You have until April 30th of the current year to file claims for expenses incurred January 1st of the previous year through March 15th of the current year.

In other words, it’s now or never to spend your FSA funds and submit the expenses.

Please be aware that not all companies elected to have the same deadlines. Check with your specific employer to see when your FSA deadlines are.

It’s pretty late in the game but if you are still searching for ways to spend your remaining 2007 FSA funds, consider:

While going through my receipts, I noticed that some stores actually note which items may be eligible for FSA reimbursement. Until I saw the “H” next to the antacids and contact solution I didn’t realize I could submit them! Check your receipts and see if you missed anything. How convenient!

2008 is my first year to fund and actually use a FSA. In an effort to keep up with my paperwork I just submitted all my receipts for the past two months. Less than 3 months into the year and I’m already half way through my funds. I’ll probably run short by December and will need to increase my figure for next year.

After narrowly missing some eligible expenses I decided to spend some time looking up what is and is not eligible for reimbursement.

Here is a detailed list of eligible expenses by a human resources company I found online. I found it very helpful. The alphabetical list starts on page 3.

FSA updates for 2008:
The following expenses no longer require a physician’s note for reimbursement:

  • Orthotics, insoles, and arch supports
  • Sunscreen and sun block (awesome!)
  • Tints and coatings for prescription eyeglasses
  • Ear-wax removal products

Familiarizing myself with the list really helped me understand what expenses qualify for reimbursement. I had no idea that you could count mileage to medical appointments. I don’t plan on submitting my mileage but I suppose if your doctors were far away this could come in handy.

I also didn’t realize that vitamins wouldn’t qualify unless your doctor writes a note saying they are used to alleviate a medical condition. Taking them for health and well being isn’t enough.

Interesting expenses allowed:

Interesting expenses NOT allowed:

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Comments

2 Responses to “Last Chance To Use Your Flexible Savings Account!”

  1. From Theory To Practice: The Festival of Frugality | I've Paid For This Twice Already... on March 18th, 2008 3:57 am

    [...] A Penny Closer reminds us not to lose our money! Make sure you’ve used all of your FSA account with Last Chance To Use Your Flexible Savings Account!. [...]

  2. Samantha J.White(new comment) on March 15th, 2009 7:07 am

    I am a new blogger and found yours at yahoo.Awesome post!

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