Why does ObamaCare prevent us from using FSA accounts for OTC drug expenses?

[TheHumanAlphabet]

And other horrid aspects of this plan???

My health insurance rates will be going up 14% and my co-pays going up $15 to 25 per visit...

Thanks Obammy!

[virginiasooner]

Try blaming your health insurance carrier -- the CEO probably makes somewhere between seven and eight figures. Or perhaps they've hired more drones to go over every aspect of your health history to deny you coverage when you need it most.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Try blaming your health insurance carrier -- the CEO probably makes somewhere between seven and eight figures. Or perhaps they've hired more drones to go over every aspect of your health history to deny you coverage when you need it most.
Horse hockey!

ObamaCare specifically denies reimbursement using FSA for OTC drugs. Why?

I would bet because Obammy and Pelosi can't control my FSA account, so they will make it more irrelevant.

[virginiasooner]

Probably because your FSA is for PRESCRIPTION DRUGS -- not over the counter. But I'm concerned that you think it's perfectly okay for the CEO of an insurance company to make over $10 million a year, while providing fewer and fewer services, and costs to you keep going up.

[yermom]

that always sounded like a shady deal anyway

FSA money that you lose at the end of the year unless you stock up on OTC crap or whatever

why should that be subsidized by my taxes again?

[The]

Sounds like you need to boot strap on up to a better health plan.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Probably because your FSA is for PRESCRIPTION DRUGS -- not over the counter. But I'm concerned that you think it's perfectly okay for the CEO of an insurance company to make over $10 million a year, while providing fewer and fewer services, and costs to you keep going up.

FSA is not only for prescription drugs. Get your head out of the sand.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Sounds like you need to boot strap on up to a better health plan.

Yeah, like Obammy's full on gubment care...

[TheHumanAlphabet]

that always sounded like a shady deal anyway

FSA money that you lose at the end of the year unless you stock up on OTC crap or whatever

why should that be subsidized by my taxes again?

Do you have a clue what he FSA is for??? It is your money, you hold back for medical purchases. Not that I have ever used it for OTC, it is just one thing that they slowly strip away from you... It is by law, now not allowed, when previsouly was allowed.

[yermom]

yeah, i know what it is. it's pre-tax money that you aren't taxed on that you have to use for medical crap. if you don't use it, it's gone. so if you gamble and lose, you have money you'll just lose if you don't spend it stocking up on glasses or NyQuil or Sudafed or whatever that you don't really need

if you didn't lose it at the end of the year, i might not think it was shady, but still using tax-deferred money to buy aspirin seems a little strange

[diegosooner]

I got this message today:


Dear PayFlex participant:
Starting January 1, 2011, certain categories of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and medicines will require a prescription in order to get reimbursed through an FSA, HRA, or HSA plan. The change is due to legislation passed within the Health Care Reform. To help you understand how this provision will impact you, please read the enclosed communication.

It sounds as though you can still get OTC drugs, but they will not longer be OTC.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Is any one getting the point. Chipping away at your "freedoms"?

[diegosooner]

What is the new rule for over-the-counter (OTC) expenses beginning January 1, 2011?

Effective January 1, 2011, OTC drug and medicine purchases will require that you obtain a prescription from your doctor if you would like to submit the expense towards your FSA, HRA or HSA plan. This new rule does not apply to reimbursements for insulin which will continue to be permitted without a prescription.

Who made this new rule regarding OTC drugs and medicines?

The OTC provision is part of the Healthcare Reform legislation passed by Congress. PayFlex and your employer are required by the federal government to follow this new rule.

When does this take effect and how does this affect my run-out and/or grace period (if
applicable to your plan)?

The new ruling will go into effect on January 1, 2011. This means that ANY OTC drug or medicine purchased on or after January 1, 2011 will require a prescription to be considered as an eligible expense under your FSA,
HRA, or HSA Plan. OTC drugs and medicines purchased before January 1, 2011 can still be submitted for reimbursement without a prescription during your plan’s run out period. The run out period is the period of time in which you can submit expenses after your plan year ends. If your plan includes a grace period for the 2010 plan year, a prescription would be required for any OTC drug or medicine purchased on or after January 1, 2011, in order to be reimbursed.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Vote democrat haha...wait, what did they just do...again...why did I just vote democrat? 'Cuz Jon Stewart and Bill Maher and Oprah tell me to. heh...what country is this, now, anyway?

[virginiasooner]

This means that ANY OTC drug or medicine purchased on or after January 1, 2011 will require a prescription to be considered as an eligible expense under your FSA, HRA, or HSA Plan. OTC drugs and medicines purchased before January 1, 2011 can still be submitted for reimbursement without a prescription during your plan’s run out period. The run out period is the period of time in which you can submit expenses after your plan year ends. If your plan includes a grace period for the 2010 plan year, a prescription would be required for any OTC drug or medicine purchased on or after January 1, 2011, in order to be reimbursed.

Sounds to me like FSAs are a big rip off. I'd drop it from your plan.

[soonerscuba]

'Cuz Jon Stewart and Bill Maher and Oprah tell me to.If anyone is looking for an appropriate example of irony, enjoy and be edified.

[pphilfran]

OTC drugs shouldn't be allowed on a FSA...

[diegosooner]

OTC drugs shouldn't be allowed on a FSA...

They won't, once you make an OTC drug a prescription drug.

[pphilfran]

They won't, once you make an OTC drug a prescription drug.

And that is why we are going broke...we give tax breaks and loopholes to everyone within sight....

Case in point...why do we have a deduction for each kid (dependent)? That child will use resources and will cost us all money down the road...yet we give a tax break...logically you should have to pay extra for each rug rat...

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Sounds to me like FSAs are a big rip off. I'd drop it from your plan.

I'll get right on that and get on the medicaid bandwagon. Let you pay for it for me...

[TheHumanAlphabet]

OTC drugs shouldn't be allowed on a FSA...

So if you use Claritin, advil, and such, you would rather spend the time at your doc's to get a Rx for a drug that you could purchase OTC that would work fine for you? So you want to waste your time and your doc's?

[TheHumanAlphabet]

And that is why we are going broke...we give tax breaks and loopholes to everyone within sight....

Case in point...why do we have a deduction for each kid (dependent)? That child will use resources and will cost us all money down the road...yet we give a tax break...logically you should have to pay extra for each rug rat...

Advocating the Fair Tax? No deducts, just pay on what you spend. At least that would mean more than 48% of taxpayers paying for 52% of the population...

[pphilfran]

So if you use Claritin, advil, and such, you would rather spend the time at your doc's to get a Rx for a drug that you could purchase OTC that would work fine for you? So you want to waste your time and your doc's?

No...I won't waste anyone's time...I will buy my Claritin and Advil out of pocket...

Like I said...we give everything to everybody...we have to make a stand sometime or another...

If it OTC you should pay out of pocket...insurance should be for catastrophic illness or injury...we shouldn't give tax breaks for every freaking thing...

[pphilfran]

Advocating the Fair Tax? No deducts, just pay on what you spend. At least that would mean more than 48% of taxpayers paying for 52% of the population...

I don't know what is the right way to go...I just know that our tax code is so convoluted that a multi billion dollar cottage industry to prepare individual tax returns has grown bigger and bigger over the years...

And getting a prescript for OTC drugs only adds to the mess...

[Tulsa_Fireman]

And getting a prescript for OTC drugs only adds to the mess...

I think that's the point.

And you do realize that the removal of the OTC qualifications for flex accounts is, by its very nature, a method for the Feds to get a little deeper in your wallet, right?

Are you advocating higher taxes for middle income families?

[pphilfran]

I think that's the point.

And you do realize that the removal of the OTC qualifications for flex accounts is, by its very nature, a method for the Feds to get a little deeper in your wallet, right?

Are you advocating higher taxes for middle income families?

Like it or not we are all going to have to pay more taxes...

What the hell...we need more tax breaks...we need an even more complicated tax system...

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

SURPRISE!!!...we voted DEMOCRAT!

[Tulsa_Fireman]

Like it or not we are all going to have to pay more taxes...

What the hell...we need more tax breaks...we need an even more complicated tax system...

Why?

Isn't spending the issue? If we resign ourselves to a mantra of increasing the demand of the taxpayer for a correllated increase in a lack of fiscal discipline by our elected representation, isn't that just downright foolish?

Is it your employer's responsibility to give you a raise because you decide to buy a new maserati? Is it their responsibility to continue that raise annually because you trade it in every year for another new one and you're upside down and floating in a financial sh*t pond?

[pphilfran]

Why?

Isn't spending the issue? If we resign ourselves to a mantra of increasing the demand of the taxpayer for a correllated increase in a lack of fiscal discipline by our elected representation, isn't that just downright foolish?

Is it your employer's responsibility to give you a raise because you decide to buy a new maserati? Is it their responsibility to continue that raise annually because you trade it in every year for another new one and you're upside down and floating in a financial sh*t pond?

We need to cut spending by at least 20%...ain't gonna happen...

Debt servicing is going to kill us...if interest rates increase we will have to pay higher interest rates on the debt...

It ain't gonna be pretty

[texas bandman]

So if you use Claritin, advil, and such, you would rather spend the time at your doc's to get a Rx for a drug that you could purchase OTC that would work fine for you? So you want to waste your time and your doc's?

I already do ask my doctor to prescribe a 12 month supply of zyrtec even though it's now over the counter. I do so during my yearly check-up which doesn't take any more of my or the doctor's time.

[bluedogok]

Why?

Isn't spending the issue? If we resign ourselves to a mantra of increasing the demand of the taxpayer for a correllated increase in a lack of fiscal discipline by our elected representation, isn't that just downright foolish?
...but think of the economy!!!! :D

Just one more step of phasing insurance out of the market which is what they wanted all along. Rates are going up big time and the benefits are getting shrunk and the way the law is written the "penalty" that will be paid for employers not providing insurance will be less than the contribution to pay for insurance....so it is headed right where they wanted to go in the first place....gov't provided health care.

[OklahomaTuba]

Wait, I thought Dear Leader said he wasn't going to raise taxes on people making less than $250,000 per years??

Guess he lied about that.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Wait, I thought Dear Leader said he wasn't going to raise taxes on people making less than $250,000 per years??

Guess he lied about that.There are still folks who think the Ruling gang has a robust economy as their goal.

[KC//CRIMSON]

'Cuz Jon Stewart and Bill Maher and Oprah tell me to.

http://s-ak.buzzfed.com/static/imagebuzz/web02/2009/1/15/22/alanis-morissette-ironic-4490-1232076325-31.jpg