RW friend complaining because budget cuts effect her

[gmoney]

"Thanks for Obama's Health Care Bill, starting in 2011, I cannot use my Health Spending Account for Over The Counter drugs. This video sums up my feelings right now. " (The video was some stupid thing showing a bunch of photos of Obama with FAIL written over them... very clever, not.)

So tempting to say something like "You said you want Obama to cut spending because it's the most important thing in the world, but when it means your aspirin won't be tax-free anymore, you complain?"

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Wow, wonder how much of her HSA is used for bandages, anti-itch creams, aspirins, or

cough drops.

[CrispyQ]

2. It's probably all spent on anti-itch creams.

When you get a bug that big up your ass it can itch like hell.

[Dr.Phool]

4. Sounds like she has crabs.

[Lochloosa]

5. We got the same notification. And it adds up over a year.

You have to get your doctor to write a prescription in order to get, say Prevacid OTC, accepted.

[Missy Vixen]

3. We know someone whose health care has been on Washington State's dime for the past ten years

HUUUUUUUUUUGE RW'er. Can't wait to rail about "high taxes" and "government interference", but he's more than happy to continue taking L & I cash from the state over injuries sustained in a car wreck ten years ago.

I've often thought about asking about the cognitive disconnect this takes, but sometimes, the best thing to do is say nothing and walk away. You won't convince them.

[napi21]

6. All the complainers are like that. Cut everything except MY STUFF!

Remember the Teabagger yelling "Keep your hands off my Medicare". They all freak when somebody mentions doing anything to SS or anything that benefits them, but it's fine to cut welfare or unemployment. Heck, one aquaintance of mine is on unemployment and when it was extended, she refused to give Obama or any of the Dems in Congress any credit for the extention. She said it was a State thing and the Dems deserved no thanks at all. GRRRR

[JuniperLea]

8. You nailed it...

Not in MY backyard!

Idiots.

[DBoon]

7. right wingers are totally self centered

Somewhere someone is playing an itsy bitsy violin

[NotThisTime]

9. I don't need to worry about such things, my HC costs way exceed the tax deductible amount....

Sad but true. Tell her to be thankful she doesn't have some catastrophic illness that will cost her 20 grand a year to care for.... Seriously self centered re: OTC stuff... tell her instead to buy it on sale with a coupon, she'll save just as much.

[lonestarnot]

10. Oh gee, bake her an ex-lax cake.

:violin:

[RamboLiberal]

11. Probably some like her overused it

But it was nice to be able to buy contact lens solution, aspirin, Prilosec OTC to use up what was left of your HSA at end of period.

The HSA I have is tough to estimate cause you have to try to figure out how much you will spend on doctor copays, prescription copays, eye exams, contacts, dental care, etc.

And it did help to cover some fairly expensive OTC drugs that health insurance no longer would cover that I used to get prescription.

After all it was my own money that was deducted from my pay check (tax free) that was just being returned to me.

I don't like the use it or lose it in one year feature of my HSA. Be nice if I could bank it for a future health expense.

But I'm not going to whine about the dropping of the OTC.

[bcool]

12. Use it or lose it is a joke

I can't believe they didn't change that "use it or lose it" provision in those health care accounts-that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. If you want to put an annual limit on it, fine, but since my crystal ball doesn't work anymore I'm hard pressed to forecast what my expenditures are going to be a year in advance.

I bet they put that in as a sweetener to businesses to get the law passed years ago...they probably figure they'll more than pay for the cost of administering the programs by getting to keep all the unused funds that people overbudgeted.

[gmoney]

13. well, I think most people have a general idea of expenses

If you budgeted your likely insurance premiums, regular appointments, ongoing medications, and other predictable costs, then (if there's anything left of the allowable contribution) add a couple hundred for unanticipated expenses, you'd be unlikely to leave any money on the table at the end of the year. You can always get new eyeglasses or stock up on OTC or Rx or even schedule a check-up if you need to "use up" any remaining funds. Plus I believe you're allowed the first quarter of the following year to use up any remaining money in the account.

Maybe your unexpected expenses will be greater than budgeted, and you would have to pay for some of that with after-tax dollars, but that's not the end of the world.

Yeah, it is kind of stupid to make the employees and employers gamble by guesstimating the expenses through the year. Seems it would be TONS simpler to just make legitimate medical expenses tax deductible.

By the way, there is a situation where the plan can work against the employer... say you allocate $5200 for your annual plan, the employer takes $100 a week from your pay. However, if on January 2nd you have surgery that costs $6000, and you use up your entire $5200 allocation, then you decide to quit your job on January 5th, you're NOT obligated to reimburse the company for the money you did NOT contribute. You're fully vested for the annual contribution amount on the first day of the year, even if you quit during the year.