The IRS issued a bulletin last Friday saying effective January 1, 2011, over-the-counter drugs will not be covered under a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Health Savings Account (HSA) or Medical Savings Account (MSA) unless you get a prescription. Eye glasses and contact lenses will still be covered. This change is brought by the health reform law passed earlier this year.
Because getting a prescription for your typical over-the-counter drugs is more trouble than its worth, this effectively ends the small tax break of paying for these drugs with pre-tax money. That by itself isn’t a big deal but it also takes away a tool for managing the use-it-or-lose-it problem in an FSA. Under the current rules, if you are getting to the end of the year (or March 15 in some plans) and you still have some money in your FSA, you can spend it down on some OTC drugs. Starting in 2011, you won’t be able to do that.
The use-it-or-lose-it rule for the FSA is really a pain. They should really get rid of it.
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pop77 says
What a bummer! Finally once all the tax increases are implemented and all the tax benefits are taken away will there be anything left to save??
Can you also investigate another disturbing news I am hearing where our health insurance subsidies from employer will be added as income in W2?
rockymtnrn says
So it seems like everyone, on every trip to the health care provider, ask for that prescription for Tylenol, ibuprofen, Prilosec OTC, etc. Still stock up when you can.
Denver Todd says
This isn’t as much of a problem as it appears. Those of use who take various OTC products for treatment of a condition, such as Niacin or fish oil for treatment of high cholesterol, already visit our doctors on a regular basis, so getting a presciption is not that big of a deal.
NJReader says
It does suck, but most people who are cognizant of this will probably reduce the amount they put into FSA/HSA/MSA.
I wonder how much of an effect it will have on OTC medicinal sales at year end since there won’t be the rush of people spending what’s left of their FSA/HSA/MSA on random OTC medicines.
Wizard Prang says
Why is it that Corporations get to tax-deduct all of their medical expenses, but People do not? Where did we get the idea that Corporations somehow deserve special treatment?
These recent “reforms” have convinced me that FedGov considers my paycheck to be their property.
I say make _all_ medical expenses tax-deductible, and give people the same tax advantages that corporations have.
Adrienne Brietzke says
For all the battling over a decent health program, the single greates assist congress could give all of us is to allow ALL our medical ecpenses to be deducted. Period. No “percentage of adjusted” -blah, blah. That would, single-handedly, have a far greater positive impact on EVERY taxpayer – based on NEED (because it’s alreayd been proven) – and reduce the morass of paperwork and maze of rules and policies. Obviously, our government is incapable of making the insurance industry become a competitive group, which ISN’T protected from colluding (aren’t liable for anti-trust violations), and just give all of us a break. If they’d also add a credit for the first $1000, they’d not only see a leveling of the playing field and important assist to those who are going broke, losing their homes, etc. because of medical expenses, but we might see a very direct positive impact for those of us who make less than $250,000 – (but who pay to save the “big dogs” and their bonuses) – but also on our flagging economy. It’s about time the federal government “bail out” the “little people.” This would be a primo way to do it!!! -AND FAIR!!!!
Adrienne Brietzke says
Another thought – the inclusion of the OTC drugs in the savings programs was done FOR THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY AND INSURANCE. Insurance wanted people to start paying for their own “common” meds – prevacid, Zyrtec, etc. – at a savings of BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to them – and the pharmaceutical industry also didn’t want to lose the income. Once again, our congress acceded to the desires of big corporations – packaged it to make it sound like it was for the rest of us – and now the only benefit we received in the whole thing is being taken away!
angel says
O-one
B-big
A-a**
M-mistake
A-america
That’s all i’m sayin. thanks for takin away the one small (kinda) freebie we had. I don’t see any benefit from the health reform, just lost the one positive thing we really even had to begin with. Seems like it’s helpin big corporations and pharmaceutical companies and that’s it. Gee thanks, we really appreciate it!
Nebet says
> The use-it-or-lose-it rule for the FSA is really a pain. They should really get rid of it.
There is another option: health savings accounts. These act as a combination retirement account and tax-free healthcare fund. Your employer can make pre-tax contributions to it, and so can you, as long as the total falls under the maximum contribution for the year, plus the catch-up payment limit if you are close to retirement age. The funds stay in the account from year to year (if there is any left over after medical expenses, of course) and the account is owned directly by the patient. Much easier to manage than reimbursements and all this other nonsense.
My employer has us all enrolled (we are all relatively young employees) in a high-deductible group health insurance plan, and then contributes $1,500 (around half of the single-person HSA yearly contribution limit) directly to our HSA’s over the year, spread across all of the biweekly paychecks. Then we get to decide what to do with it — save it for retirement or use it to pay for things we need.
I was taking Prilosec and now will be taking Allegra regularly. I am frustrated that both of these now-OTC medications will still require an expensive (time off from work and also the copay) visit to the doctor in order to use my already-committed healthcare dollars to pay for them. Ridiculous.
Other than this recent change, I have been pretty satisfied with the setup so far, though.
Barbara says
Here you are taking a drug that your doctor prescripbed and then the drug company decides to make it OTC. Now your insurance won’t cover it anymore so you are out-of-pocket for something you used to get at a lower cost. Then you use your HSA to pay for the OTC drugs, Your own money!!!! and now they take that away too.
Not to mention the hassle of it. Not only do you have to get a a prescription to get reimbursed, you may no longer use your HSA debit/credit card to purchase them. You must make copies of receipts and scripts and send them in for reimbursement. You also have to pay for a stamp and hope it doesn’t get lost in the good ole US maill!!
All you people who want Obama care wake up!! This is only the beginning. It is more taking away than giving. People say, “It works in other countries”. Well, that is only true in SOME countries. DO your research and speak to people from all countries with “socialized” Medicine and see how they like it. I have and they are not happy stories in all cases.