That sucks. Now I will have to buy my weed with taxed money. This is BS.

What a crock of hockey. My youngest is allergic to 9 types of grass and the mold that grows on the underside of fallen tree leaves. His allergy medication is Claritin, which is OTC. Thanks a lot, BO, you JERK.

Tightening up the tax break on over-the-counter purchases will generate an estimated $5 billion in federal revenues through 2019

Wait a minute, that's $5 billion in citizens $$ paid into a health care plan that was actually WORKING that they're putting their grubby hands on. I wonder how many pork projects will get the green light at the expense of me and others getting meds for acid reflux through this plan.

I'm not paying for hospital visits to get a stupid prescription for something the Dr already recommended for me that was working. That'd just cost more insurance $$ from the pool & take up more slots in the Drs schedule from those who actually need help.

This Democrat written bill stinks to high heaven.

Oh please "people on low-dose aspirin therapy" a 300 count 85mg aspirin taken once a day lasts nearly year & costs a couple of bucks.

Lets be selective here, yes some over the counter stuff is expensive, but aspirin? bad example.

So now, instead of me buying naproxen cheaply OTC, I just get the doc to write a prescription for the exact same medication. Obamacare (that would actually be you my friendly U.S. citizens) will pay for the doctor visit, the doctor writing the prescription and the extra cost at the pharmacy.

And people want the government to run health care. ROTFL!!!!

Pelosi: The most hated woman in America.

Barrack Obama: Possibly the most hated U.S. President since Andrew Johnson. (We didn't hate Carter; just thought of him as an idiot)

The People did not want this health care "reform" disaster. It must be dismantled now, and retroactively so.

Wait a minute, that's $5 billion in citizens $$ paid into a health care plan that was actually WORKING that they're putting their grubby hands on. I wonder how many pork projects will get the green light at the expense of me and others getting meds for acid reflux through this plan.

I'm not paying for hospital visits to get a stupid prescription for something the Dr already recommended for me that was working. That'd just cost more insurance $$ from the pool & take up more slots in the Drs schedule from those who actually need help.

This Democrat written bill stinks to high heaven.

Allen,
FYI, removing the OTC from FSA accounts was a Republican added provision of the bill. Next time, do a little research before you start throwing political blame around.

This whole bill is a bunch of BULLSH!T!!! Our representatives represent their own interests, not the interests of the people. 4,000 pages of a$$wipe.

They may have not read it, but you know that they knew what was in it (at least what would benefit THEIR agenda). The word "crooks" fits very well!

You work, put money (i.e. save, do without stuff) into your FSA, and use that money for OTC and maitenance medical purchases. Sounds incredibly responsible to me.

How do FSA accounts really hurt the federal government?

How does this help the vaunted "working families" the pols say they care so much about?

How does limiting what people spend their own money on improve the quality of their health care?

January - bring up a repeal for this part of the HCR and allow the opponents to answer the three questions above. Then let the American public vote.

Just another screwing to the working man - they limits any break for us - but the rich get all thiers - of course I guess becuase our 'REPRESENTATIVES' really don't care what we need - as long as they get elected and they need the wealthy for that

Sorry aliveinsd, the most hated president since Andrew Johnson remains GWB. Only the 30 percent (the paranoid right like you and some of these other posters looking to whine about something) hate our current president.

CAS, I buy the generic Claritin, and it's $12 for 90 tablets at Walmart. If you need a prescription, see your doctor on your child's annual visit, get a 90-day prescription with three refills, and that will last you the entire year.

This is a loophole the government closed. These plans were never meant to be for over the counter drugs. It's amazing that the same people who complain about out of control spending and deficits never want to pay taxes either.

This is what you get when NO one compromise.

Wall street & FSA INC. lobbied for you to keep the money in so the have more of it.

Go Wall street, I wonder if they want the HC bill repealed or not!?

This one's going to be fun. Many insurance prescription plans deny coverage for allergy meds until you have proven that the OTC meds available don't cut the mustard. Might be the same with reflux meds, too, I'm not sure, but at any rate, you can't use FSA dollars unless you have a prescription but the insurance co won't let you have the prescription if the OTC stuff works. SPEC-FRIGGIN-TACULAR!

@ Guidance Counselor “removing the OTC from FSA accounts was a Republican added provision of the bill”

where did you get this infromation? Cause what I am finging is this

http://www.dailyfinance.com/article/new-congress-should-remove-restrictions/1391928/

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Save Flexible Spending Plans today called on the new leaders in Congress to follow through on their campaign promises to fix problems with the health care reform law, including restrictions on employer-provided flexible spending accounts (FSAs).

And it seems to me if the republicans were the ones that added the provision that SFSP would not be asking them to fix it

jacaf19 i will be more than willing to pay taxes when our government learns how to be fiscally responsible until then they can bite my a@@

Great reporting. This also affects Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). This is nothing but a payback to Big Pharma for getting on board/in bed with Obamacare! Now, to get reimbursed you need to go to the doctor to get a prescription whereas you might have gotten an OTC medication before. This totally defeats the purpose of trying to get consumers more engaged in their health care. Ha! Revenue generation is newspeak for increased taxation. Whenever I hear a politician say increasing government "revenues" or increasing "investment" I know this really means increasing taxes and spending and that politician needs to go!

If you need OTC claritin or low-dose aspirin regimin, just get a freakin' note from your doctor, and it's covered by your HSA. Done. Easy.

How can this be possible? Didn't Nancy Pelosi give us her good word that once we found out what was in this bill we would like it?!

All through the process, things were hurried and rushed to get this through. The longer the process took and the more we learned about it, the worse the polling numbers for it got, But that didn't matter to the dem leadership. All they cared about was flexing their muscle and seizing more power. They rammed it though. Now as new things emerge, it becomes even less palatable. THe "affordable healthcare act" has sent premiums sky rocketing. People have had enough and voted as much a couple weeks ago. And Nancy's reaction? She wants to be the house minority leader! The audacity of this woman is appalling. If the democrats leave her in power, then they are confirming that they care NOTHING about what the American people think.

First of all, you can CALL your physician's office and have them MAIL you new prescriptions for OTC drugs that they already are aware that you're taking. You DO NOT have to make an appointment just to get a prescription. I've already advised my doctor of this new law, and he's writing me new prescriptions for my Trigosamine and my MDR multivitamins (both of which I have to take). It's NO big deal....it's just one of the small items in the healthcare plan that needs to be tweeked....the majority of the plan is fine.

Aliveinsd: You need to read the stats, my friend....47% of the U.S. public like the bill; 48% think it needs to be tweeked. There are things in this bill that are very likeable; i.e., having the ability to keep your child on your health plan to age 26, not being turned down for pre-existing conditions, etc. Getting new prescriptions for OTC drugs that you currently take is a SMALL problem....and there are other SMALL items that need to be fixed, that granted. But, a good portion of the healthcare plan has been well received by half the U.S. citizens.

Didi,

"There are things in this bill that are very likeable; i.e., having the ability to keep your child on your health plan to age 26, not being turned down for pre-existing conditions, etc"

Yeah, those are great. WTF should a "child" 25 years old be on their parents plan? 25 years old is an adult. I've got an idea. If you're so enthralled with how good a thing this is how about we do this. As soon as the "child" is 26 he not only has to come off his parent's plan he also qualifies to vote? The Pre-existing provision is a joke too. Ok,, don't want to pay the premiums for health insurance. Not a big deal. Pay your fine, which is a lot less than the premium, then when you get sick go ahead and buy a health insurance plan. Winner, winner, chicken dinner. You are clueless to how bad this bill is. Here's another one to suck on. A company of 10 employees offers benefits to the employees and pays 75% of the employee premium. 4 of the employees are able to get on their spouses plans for less money than the 25% they are responsible with their employer's plan. Guess what. The new bill requires non-discrimination testing that to pass the benefit plan offered by the employer must benefit 70% of the eligible employees. Including the 4 who have waived off to be on their spouses plan. The employer has two options. Increase their contribution to the employee's premium to 100% to cover the 4 employees who are on their spouses plan or drop the insurance coverage for everybody or be fined $100 a day per affected employee. Yeah great bill. Get a clue and do a little research on this abortion.

Why should anyone be able to pay for aspirin and other OTCs to begin with.

This is absolute stupidty. $5 blillion in savings through 2019? A very small drop in a very large bucket with HUGE political backlash

Dumb, dumb, dumb

Guidance Counselor - removing the OTC from FSA accounts was a Republican added provision of the bill. Next time, do a little research before you start throwing political blame around.

Care to cite the source for this little revelation?

@SickandTired

@ Guidance Counselor "removing the OTC from FSA accounts was a Republican added provision of the bill"

where did you get this infromation? Cause what I am finging is this

http://www.dailyfinance.com/article/new-congress-should-remove-restrictions/1391928/

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Save Flexible Spending Plans today called on the new leaders in Congress to follow through on their campaign promises to fix problems with the health care reform law, including restrictions on employer-provided flexible spending accounts (FSAs).

And it seems to me if the republicans were the ones that added the provision that SFSP would not be asking them to fix it

Your current link is correct, however it really shows the hypocracy of the party system. Particularly now that this is big in the news, with new members of congress, when it was completely overlooked last year.

Republican leaders brought up this provision because under the current system you can use your FSA for items such as birth control devices (condoms, etc) and other personal use misc., that are not normally considerred health care items that would be issued by a doctor and therefore shouldn't qualify for a tax deduction in your schedule A on your tax form. (Although, you can only deduct anything that exceeds 7.5% of your income for medical, so that would be a lot of condoms!) It is in part because of this loophole that non-perscription OTC is being pulled from FSA. Condoms were sited as a a specific example because, they were included in 2003 as OTC because they help prevent the spread of STD's, but some leaders believe that supporting condom use promotes pre-marital and underage sex. The sloppy part is that instead of ensuring a better definition of what OTC items can or cannot qualify, it's easier to just pull the whole OTC part out and get an extra 5 Billion worth of nickels and dimes.

I am kind of amused reading these comments. Did you or did you not vote for Barack Obama who said he was going to implement national health care?

I did not vote for him and hope that the governors are successful with their lawsuit, or at least Boehner manages to get it amended.

There are things in this bill that are very likeable; i.e., having the ability to keep your child on your health plan to age 26,

Whoever said that these "children" should not vote until 26, I say WHAT A FABULOUS IDEA!

If we are going to treat them as "children," that means they should not vote.

Then we won't have to worry about another idiot like Barack Obama becoming President.

It was the 18-35 years that got this man and his administration in office.

You DO NOT have to make an appointment just to get a prescription.

I do. I have an HMO plan.

All we needed were regulatory changes to how the insurance companies operate, and some regulation on how the pharmaceutical operate, not a 4,000 page monstrosity that is never going to have the effect that these lying ideological nut cases in Congress told us it would have. I honestly feel sorry for anybody that believes that politicians are really trying to look out for our welfare. Both sides have been manipulating the people of this country for way to long. They use scare tactics to get people to believe that the other side is going to screw us, when in reality they are all screwing us to suit their own personal interests. We have allowed it for a long time because most people were making a good living so we just turned a blind eye to it. Now that people are struggling everyone is freaking out, and surprise the politicians are still trying to do the same thing.By the looks of some peoples posts in here it's obvious that the politicians have you right where they want you....eating out of their hands. Fighting each other instead of looking at what they are doing. GO AMERICA!

nwrob..."All we needed were regulatory changes to how the insurance companies operate, and some regulation on how the pharmaceutical operate,..."

That makes too much sense. Its too logical and rational. The politicians, liberals in particular, will never go for it.

"Money prompted the change, experts say. "I think [federal officials] were just looking for revenue raisers,""

Government makes money, taxpayers loose money... and on top of adding tens of millions of people to an already overburdened amount of doctors, now everyone with an FSA who wants to use it needs to see a doctor to get a prescription(and no doubt pay for the visit too)... what an absolutly aweful way to fatten the government coffers. No wonder the whole thing needs to be repealed.

I never knew there was such a thing...

I never got any coverage on over the counter medicine anyway...

They don't cost much anyway....Buy generic Wal-Mart.

Keith. Ever need to use Zyrtec? The generic at Walmart is $18 for 30 tablets.

According to my FSA & HSA administrators, a prescription for ongoing OTC meds can be uploaded once and applied to future purchases. I have to front the $$ but then will be reimbursed from my FSA/HSA. an added step, and an annoyance but . . . at least I have (good) coverage and access to upload scripts and receipts to my provider. Thank goodness for steady employment - count your blessings everyone.

oops - I checked the bottle - 90 tablets, but that is still half a tank of gas for his 70-mile round trip commute.

Costco sells the generic of Zyrtec 365 tablets for *** $15.95 ***

It's an unbelievable deal. At first I thought it was just a promotion but a year plus later they are still doing it.

How many Americans have FSA accounts?

Does anyone realize that the government is telling YOU how you can spend YOUR money? Meanwhile they get to spend OUR money on anything THEY want with no questions or reprocussions?

Hey pjam09,

It's 'lose' not 'loose.'

It's 'overburdened number of doctors' not 'overburdened amount of doctors.'

It's 'absolutely awful' not 'absolutly aweful.'

I'm not crazy about some of these healthcare changes myself, but you make yourself sound like a dimwit when you mangle the English language. Try a little harder next time.

If you just pay for the prescription you'll probably save more money....

If I call my Docter he'll call it in for me.

Oh for crying out loud, get over it sheri... What are you the spelling and grammar police?

Keith - How many Americans have FSA accounts?

The last company I worked for, dozens of people had these accounts. They were very handy for families.

I never knew there was such a thing...

I never got any coverage on over the counter medicine anyway...

They don't cost much anyway....Buy generic Wal-Mart.

Your HR dept should have had this available. Because the money is pre-tax and goes into an easy to access account, you can make all your OTC purchases at any store with your FSA and save money. Some OTC medications are expensive, this was a big help to many families.

Again, how are FSA accounts hurting the federal government, how can limiting them "improve health care" and how does this legislation help "working families"?

"Keith - How many Americans have FSA accounts?"

Don't know but as of 2007 4.5 million Americans were covered by an HSA account. Probably closer to 7 or 8 million today.

Sounds like a middle-class tax increase to me. And don't mistake this for a deficit reduction plan. Unused FSA money goes back to the employer. CHA-CHING! When you need an Rx you must go to the Doctor - CHA-CHING! and he files a claim - CHA-CHING! and you go to the drug store - CHA-CHING! and pay premium prices to a drug company for the drug - CHA-CHING! and they file a claim with the PBM - -CHA-CHING! And the health care costs go up. And every one of those cha-ching's was precipitated not by anything as logical and rational as a deficit reduction, but by corporate lobbyists who want to put their hands deeper into your pockets and by the scumbag lawmakers who succumbed to them.

cgtrav, there is no Costco within a reasonable distance of where I live.

Sheri...thanks for being the Newsvine Grammar Police!!!

CAS Reaves, try Sam's Club. I get a year's worth of generic Claritin for what I'd pay for 30 days of the premium. The same was true for Zyrtec.

This is just one more way that the healthcare bill screws the public. Has anyone mentioned that now prescriptions are being taxed?

Can't wait to find even more ways. NOT!

I buy generic, and the largest size possible, but with my whole family on Zyrtec for allergies, I really appreciated being able to use my FSA money for purchases. Given how much all my other medical costs have gone up (higher premiums, higher co-pays, reduced coverage percentages), this is just one more way that I'm feeling the pinch of medical costs. I'm thankful that my husband and I still have jobs - but our real income has decreased each year for the past several years, mainly due to health care costs - and we're a relatively healthy family! I can see how serious long-term illnesses drive families into bankruptcy. Is this the tipping point - no, but it's one more benefit we've lost.

Sure, I can get prescriptions for the zyrtec - but I'm sure doctor's offices are not going to be happy being flooded for requests for prescriptions for non-prescription meds.

princessbride - I agree with you. The cost to get the prescription is 10 times more than the tax savings from the FSA. But many people will still try to get a prescription. If the doctors visits are covered under insurance, then everyone's insurance policy will go up to match. It's a "no win" situation that will only increase our overall healthcare spending.

Instead of popping pills when you get the sniffles

One of the worst things we do as a nation is prescribe anti-biotics for virus caused colds (most sniffles)

Remember, if you treat a cold, you will get better in a week. If you don't treat the cold, it will get better in seven days!

i agree, people aren't going to die without OTC medications, discouraging some people from taking them might (God forbid!) help them to live without them. this is bad for the drug companies since they'll lose some of the people who's only decision up until now has been whether to take 5 Tylenol or 2 Aleve. every. day.

Princessbride,

Did you take a look at the generic Zyrtec? I've used it for myself and kids and it worked the same for us. Just a thought. Good luck!

My family (3 people...2 adults, 1 teenager) do use over $500 per year in OTCs. I liked the convenience of using the FSA for the OTCs but I can deal with this...it'll still cover our prescriptions and everything else we use it for so it is still a good investment. But yeah, people DO use tons of expensive OTCs yearly.

And to the mom looking for Zyrtec...we use it too and I buy 300 pills for $14.99 at BJ's Warehouse (its the generic...the name brand is $7 more expensive). Might be worth checking into for you...

sfs, I buy the generic Zyrtec for my husband's allergies (claritin won't touch his hives - Zyrtec is the only thing that reduces them) and it is NOT cheap. $18 for a bottle of 90 and we are a ONE-income family since I lost my job. Most times, I have to choose between giving the family variety in food or paying for the OTC meds.
Dan, you're as full of crap as a Christmas turkey. A LOT of things that used to be Rx are now OTC, and even if you get a script for them, some insurances won't cover because.... they're OTC!

It always seems like the people medicating themselves with OTC medicines are...always sick!

That's true for some people, but you're missing the point. Some things like allergies, acid reflux, asthma, etc aren't something you can get over with a box of Kleenex. It's about $1.50 a day for the generic acid reflux meds. Without taking the pills you not only feel myserable, it can eat away at the stomach & throat linings.

Wait a second...Dan Carver, Michael in S J, and Mateo-660030 - the three of you are going to honestly say you have never taken any medicine when you have had the flu, a headache, or the "sniffles"? If you say yes than you are all liars!

This is a competitive world, I can't afford to miss a week of work because I got a cold. Besides, when you get a cold you are not fighting the virus you are fighting the symptoms. Lets do an experiment, Michael in S J and are I are both going to be injected w/ the cold virus. Michael in S J, will not take any medication to defend the symptoms and I will. We both will be tasked with doing the same job during that week. At the end of the week I'm willing to bet that my work performance will be better than Michael in S J. I'm not saying I'm better or smarter then Michael in S J, I'm just saying the cold will be debilitating enough to affect his performance and not mine. So when promotions or layoffs come, I'll look better.

I'm a long time allergy suffer, year round allergies and I have to take a pill every day for those allergies. I spend close to $150 a year on my medicine and every year in February I try about two weeks off the medicine to see if I can function without it and every year I'm happy to go back on it. My father has a long history of heart problems and his doctor has told him taking St. Joseph heart medicine (an OTC) would be beneficial to his heart. My 86 year old grandmother suffers from arthritis, she actually can't walk when she doesn't take her two Aleve, that's 730 pills a year - not cheap.

People depend on this everyday stuff to get through their lives. They are not treating deathly illnesses with OTC, they are just trying to make it through the day so they can provide for their family. People like labors who go through back breaking work to feed their children.

One last thought - I was 21 years old when I got my first flu shot. The reason was because when I was 20 years old I had to be put in a medically induced comma because I contracted the West Nile Flu Virus. I was so sick I was hours away from my body overheating and cooking my brain. The human body doesn't have an immunization to all flu viruses. I've received a flu shot every year since and have never had the flu ever again.

OTC's are relatively inexpensive compared to prescription medications. So what if you can't use your FSA on a few bottles of cough medicine.

I know people who used their FSA for contact lens solution, allergy medicines, vitamins, pre-natal vitamins, birth control, and bandaids. That's hardly "over medicating" but are normal purchases for many American families.

Again, how does limiting FSA accounts help "working families"? How does this legislation "improve health care"? How does this legislation lower the costs of health care for Americans?

Contact Lens products are still covered. See below:

The IRS currently allows OTC medicine and drugs to be reimbursed using your FSA or HRA dollars. However, as of January 1, 2011:

1. FSA or HRA funds can no longer be used to purchase OTC medicine and drugs unless a medicine or drug is prescribed. A “prescription” means a written or electronic order for a medicine or drug that meets the legal requirements of a prescription in the state in which the medical expense is incurred and that is issued by an individual who is legally authorized to issue a prescription in that state.

• Acid Controllers
• Allergy & Sinus
• Antibiotic Products
• Anti-Diarrheals
• Anti-Gas
• Anti-Itch & Insect Bite
• Antiparasitic Treatments

• Baby Rash Ointments/Creams
• Cold Sore Remedies
• Cough, Cold & Flu
• Digestive Aids
• Feminine Anti-Fungal/Anti-Itch
• Hemorrhoidal Preps
• Laxatives

• Motion Sickness
• Pain Relief
• Respiratory Treatments
• Sleep Aids & Sedatives
• Stomach Remedies

The following categories of items do not need a prescription to be paid from your FSA and HRA:

• Denture adhesives
• Diagnostic tests and monitors
• Elastic bandages and wraps
• Eye care and contact lens supplies
• Family planning kits
• Fiber laxatives
• First aid supplies

• Hearing aid batteries
• Infant electrolytes and dehydration solutions
• Infant teething pain supplies
• Insulin and diabetic supplies
• Nebulizers
• Orthopedic aids
• Ostomy products

• Reading glasses
• Smoking deterrents
• Syringes
• Thermometers
• Wheelchairs, walkers, and canes

2. If you have a prescription for an OTC medicine or drug, you must pay out of pocket at point of sale and then submit a manual claim requesting reimbursement. You cannot use your Prepaid Benefits Card for this purchase. (NOTE: Some retail merchants may remove OTC drugs and medicines from their list of eligible items prior to the January 1 effective date, in which case these items will not be approved on the prepaid benefits card at those merchants.)

3. You can continue to use your FSA or HRA funds to purchase OTC items that are not considered a medicine or drug (e.g. bandages, splints, contact lens solution, etc.) Please note that insulin remains an eligible expense with or without a prescription. So, your Prepaid Benefits Card can continue to be used for these purchases.

Irish23: Please tell your grandmother who is taking the Aleve that she needs to watch this carefully. NSAIDS, which Aleve is one of, is extremely detrimental to your liver function. I was taking Aleve and Naproxen for my knees, but my doctor found that my liver function tests were not good and took me off NSAIDS totally. Hopefully, your grandmother is having her blood tested a couple times a year, to include liver function, to make sure that the Aleve is not causing her any problems.

Seriously - I don't get the uproar over this. This is actually a good thing... until now, you could actually get away with buying SUNSCREEN and having an FSA reimbursment!

I'm sorry, but providing a tax incentive to buy bandages, vitamins, sunscreen etc. is stupid policy and it's right to have this removed. If it's actually something that you REALLY need, get a doctor's note. The controversy over this provision is such a waste of time. "Oh, no they're not going to let me get a tax break on my lens solution" is a big deal, but "increasing my premiums 30%" is not? Come on folks - let's focus our frustrations on the REAL problems with this monstrosity of a bill.

Mickey,

"Again, how does limiting FSA accounts help "working families"? How does this legislation "improve health care"? How does this legislation lower the costs of health care for Americans?"

It doesn't. It's a payback to the pharmaceutical companies for jumping into bed with Obama and his Obamacare scheme.

Mark,

""Oh, no they're not going to let me get a tax break on my lens solution" is a big deal, but "increasing my premiums 30%" is not?"

You're missing the point. By consumers purchasing OTC medications instead of going to the doctor to get a prescription they are decreasing their utilization of their medical plan. A majority of your 30% increase is due to utilization. It's a means of incentivising the consumer to think about how they spend their health care dollars. Nobody thinks about a $20 copay to see the doctor and then a $10 copay for a prescription. The fact is that's not the actual cost of the doctor's visit or the prescription. When people have their own money in the game they start to think how they want to spend it.

I know people who used their FSA for contact lens solution, allergy medicines, vitamins, pre-natal vitamins, birth control, and bandaids. That's hardly "over medicating" but are normal purchases for many American families.

Yes, and those will continue to be eligible expenses for healthcare FSA's...those are NOT OTC's....OTC's are things like aspirin and cold medicine, which you can buy in bulk for CHEAP.

Svenolafson - I'm not missing the point at all. Incentivizing the use of tax-sheltered accounts for everyday expenses is not how you get people to understand the cost of healthcare. As has been pointed out, you DON'T need to go to your doctor and incur any charge... simply call the office up, a note is all that is needed (not even a prescription) if you really are so freaking concerned about having to pay a little extra for something that shouldn't have been covered by an FSA to start with.

The better answer to get people to understand the cost of medicine is to have more and more high deductible plans with no copays and have people save for their own care. It's not that difficult... once people see the true cost of visiting an emergency room when their kid has the sniffles and have to pay out of their own pocket EXPLICITLY, they *should* be wiser about doing so. Until you have true 'skin in the game', then you just don't have any incentive.

This bill is a monstrosity that is really just a framework for providing for a single-payer government solution as the end-game. Crying about saving a few bucks in tax savings here and there is pointless in the grand scheme of things. We should be crying out about how the ridiculous provisions of forcing coverage of pre-existing conditions and ADULT children will affect the cost curve. This bill does NOTHING to solve the health cost problem and only exasterbates it.

For those of you who think that forcing coverage of pre-existing conditions is a good thing... please get a grip. You can't drive around in a brand new car without car insurance, get in a wreck and then call up State Farm and expect them to cover you? So why the hell should you expect a health insurance company to do the same. Of course, personal responsibility is a lost value these days so most liberal think that it's "just not fair" to deny coverage to someone who now has a medical problem but didn't have the foresight to buy coverage when they didn't have the issue.

BTW - from what I understand, there are STILL some OTC medications that can be submitted for FSA reimbursment (ridiculous as that is) without a doctors note. Amongst them, Aspirin, Folic Acid, Flouride and Iron.

irish23, not to sound unsympathetic, but i really don't get sick very often. i never get a flu shot, and i never get the flu either. i look for natural alternatives first and foremost, just like i try to live a natural, active, preventative lifestyle. it's been years since i needed a prescription drug, my doctor once prescribed Claratin for allergies, but i just found home remedies to be more effective

i used an FSA pretty much for what it was intended, when i got LASIK last year. most of my other co-workers, it seemed, put money into an account and then, when they hadn't used it, they bought band-aids and OTC meds at the end of the year so they wouldn't lose it. i doubt the majortiy of people use an FSA to buy OTC meds, but those that do would just have to start using their FSA for what it was intended.

Mark,

"As has been pointed out, you DON'T need to go to your doctor and incur any charge... simply call the office up, a note is all that is needed (not even a prescription) if you really are so freaking concerned about having to pay a little extra for something that shouldn't have been covered by an FSA to start with."

Most of the docs I know are into revenue generation. You may be lucky in having a doc that will do this. My experience is that they want to you come in for an appointment before they will give you a note or script.

On your other points I totally agree.

Ah, Mark, my FSA wouldn't pay for sunscreens or vitamins.

Yeah but that'd be a $40 co-pay visit for me on top of missing a few hours of work for the Drs visit all so this stupid "reform" can squeeze a few billion out of the health care system for the politicians to spend.

So just do it the next time you're at your annual checkup. In the meantime, what will this REALLY cost you? Nothing through December...

What a sad waste of your doctor's time. And I hope he wrote "Nyquil."

jimin... whatever... I go see my doctor and the least it costs me is $15 for the visit. $25 if there is something actually going on.

, away from the fog of the controversy.

hahahaha yeah there's no foggy controversy. Let's grab $5 billion from taxpayer health care funds, put sales taxes on home sales (what the HELL does that have to do with health care?), put in briberies for state reps votes, and who knows what else will come out next that we're supposed to learn to like.

Bravo American business and drug companies youve stuck it to us again where the sun dont shine

hey, this isn't the drug companies, this is a Democrat bill with "no Republican ideas in it" with billions in $$ being funneled to Washington from an already broken health care system.

Why would you even think the drug companies would want a provision that is going to lower the quantity in their sales of OTC drugs and send the excess funds to Washington?

A prescription for ASPRIN?

Funny thing about aspirin: if it had to go through drug trials today, it would be a prescription medicine!! Way too many side effects. It is a very effective medicinal, but not everyone can take it, and it can be fatal in specific instances (thins blood which is not good after surgeries)!

For crying out loud you can buy a bottle of aspirin for less than $10. If you're upset because drugs like aspirin aren't covered by your FSA anymore then you need to get a life. What kind of tax savings are you looking to gain by buying asprin and other cheap OTC generics with your FSA? Give me a break.

Trev - You obviously don't have an HSA account, nor understand how it works. You have the money taken from your paycheck and automatically deposited, so it is yours to use. You can use it to buy tylenol, skin cream, cough medicine, eye drops, nose drops, cough drops, etc etc. Anything that is health related. You have to keep the receipts for everything in case you are audited. For a family, that adds up to alot of money. Now big daddy government has come in between us and our insurance company and is telling us we have to change...why? To save money? Are they kidding? That is just wrong. Keep the feds out of our business.

They also changed the deductions to post tax instead of pretax. I put $5000 a year in the account for my family. We use it for all our healthcare, including dental. Taking it after tax will cost me around $350 up front.

Yea, Obama care is saving me alot of money.....NOT!

stop, please stop. This article isn't taking away your whole HSA, and in fact you can get your doctor to give you a note for anything you regularly have to buy. I'm sure you take your family for regular check-ups, so do it then.

In my house, aspirin just expires anyway. Big freakin' deal. I'm not putting money into my HSA to save pennies on aspirin; I'm doing it to have an account of tax-free money to pay for more sigificant expenses...hopefully farther down the road.

Not to mention that with the MERP plan that I use you have to guess how much you will spend at the beginning of the year and you lose anything left in the account at the end. I used to manage this by stocking up on the OTC stuff I use at the end of the year to deplete the account before I lose the money.

StoptheSpending (and everyone else who is complaining here)...instead of putting the money into the FSA account for your OTC medications, open another savings account and do a direct deposit of maybe $10/paycheck into THAT account to pay for OTC medications. This is only a suggestion for those of you who seem to be living off OTC medications. Additionally, go to Costco, Sam's Club, or Wal-Mart and buy your OTC medications....they're MUCH cheaper than CVS, Walgreen's, Rite-Aide, etc. (unless you get the 2 for 1 deal that is sometimes offered by these drugstores). Also, the FSA account will STILL pay for bandaids, medical supplies, etc.

stopthespending-2291099

I don't know where you've got your information from, but HSA's are STILL tax advantaged accounts and unaffected by the HC deform legislation, so you're not out $350 at all. Sure, you can't buy OTC medicines without the note or prescription, but the deductions are still pre-tax, not post-tax like you claim.

Mark: As of January 1, money it taken out of our check POST tax, not pretax. Separate issue from the OTC talk.

I do have children actually. And the ONLY change for FSA's for 2011 is that OTC drugs will not be an eligible expense unless they are accompanied with a doctor's prescription. Yes, I've made several of those midnight trips to CVS where I've had to spend $8 on cold medicine, and I've probably not ever spent more than $100 on such medications for my children in any given year. At my 30% tax bracket I'd only be saving $30/year if I were to purchase those kinds of "emergency" medications with a FSA...whoopty do. $30/year equates to less than $3/month in tax savings, so it's not really going to make me struggle to get by.

I understand the tax savings for the kind of meds you need for your son's asthma and your cancer, as those kinds of medications are incredibly costly and burdensome. But I don't think I can agree with you that the savings realized through the purchase of OTC meds is really going to have a major impact on the amount of money you have in your bank account at any given time.

This might be a side note, but I'd like to point out that anyone who is going to the drugstore in the middle of the night to by cough and cold medicine for their babies or toddlers is not doing so with their doctor's blessing... the FDA has raised the safe age for giving cough and cold medicine to 6 years old. Maybe something good will come of this, if people go and try to get prescriptions for cold medicine for their toddlers so that they are covered by their FSA (to save a couple bucks on taxes) their doctors can re-educate them about how dangerous it can be to give them.

Also, maybe I'm just not understanding this correctly, because I don't use an FSA, but you are still paying for these OTC meds yourself, right? It just comes from money that you've already taken out of your paycheck and put in a different account? So, you weren't getting them for free before, you were still paying for them, right? I know the money before was taken out pre-tax, so like someone else posted on here, it is possible that if you are spending 500 dollars in OTC meds each year, you will save 30 or 50 dollars on taxes at the end of the year. Maybe you shouldn't be spending so much money on medicine that isn't even prescribed to you? Maybe it is a good thing to go to your doctor and ask him/her to write scrips for the apparently hundreds of dollars of meds you buy without him/her knowing about it each year, again, so they can review them and see if they are interacting with any meds you ARE prescribed, or might be making a chronic condition you have worse, etc.

Anyways, I guess the one thing that rings out the most to me is, if you are seriously spending so much money on medications your doctor doesn't think you need each year, maybe that is something that can be cut out of your budget to make your life easier. Like someone else said, cold medicine doesn't make your cold go away any faster. And if it is a med you really need- like claritin- then a) I'm sure your doc will prescribe it for you no problem, and b) I'm sure they will be happy to hear you tell them you have seasonal allergies- which can mean you are also predisposed to eczema and asthma, etc.- and they can be a better doctor to you since they are actually being kept in the loop as to what's going on in your health.

Sorry, I know I rambled.

Eleanor - ever stop to think that a lot of these OTC meds USED to be prescription, and doctors recommend them in lieu of writing a prescription? With allergy meds like claritin (my son takes this - he is allergic to NINE types of grass, and our yard used to be hayfield! joy, joy!) and zyrtec, (my husband takes this for hive - claritin won't touch them) this is very much the case. Neither one is very cheap - certainly not on the $4 list.

That is true, I know that many of them used to be prescription and are now OTC. But I do know for a fact that you can have your son's primary care provider write him a scrip for generic claritin (and have your husband's write him one for generic zyrtec) and then from the sounds if it, it should still be covered by your FSA.

At my 30% tax bracket I'd only be saving $30/year if I were to purchase those kinds of "emergency" medications with a FSA...whoopty do. $30/year equates to less than $3/month in tax savings, so it's not really going to make me struggle to get by.

So the plan doesn't work in your situation, but it does for many others. The world doesn't revolve around you & your needs.

If you can't afford your children then don't have them. There's nothing in the constitution that says everyone must have children. If you are seriously whining because some pre-tax dollars on OTC meds are going to throw your family into a financial spiral then people like you shouldn't be having children in the first place.

Well hell if that's the solution, lets go ahead and repeal Obamacare. Those millions of uninsured kids just had irresponsible parents who shouldn't have had children if they couldn't afford hospital visits.

Unbelievable.

And the rest of us thank you for not sending more of YOUR seed out into the world. Too bad your parents didn't feel the same way you do.

When did I bitch about paying taxes or welfare programs? If the solution is don't have kids the world dies off after one generation pal. Besides my 4 year old has a higher IQ than you ever will.

Did you ever think that the people here who have trouble buying meds for their kids were completely well off when they chose to have kids but lost jobs due to hmmmm let me think what happened??? Oh yeah the economy took a DUMP!

Again, how does the federal government limiting FSA help "working families"?

How does it improve the quality of health care?

How does it lower the cost of health care?

Responsible Americans setting money aside for their individual health and well being needs and controlling how that money is spent is somehow disconcerting to the authors of HCR.

Almost as disconcerting as your rabid support for allowing the government to limit other people's choices.

Well be glad you have the option of an FSA...my employer does not offer one, and smaller companies generally do not as is explained by the story...so in my opinion, it is unfair that some people get this tax break because it is offered by their employer...so last year when my son had to have a chest x-ray because he had pneumonia, I had to foot the $500 copay, without benefit of a tax break...I think it is unfair that NOT EVERYONE WORKING, TAX PAYING person has the option of getting this tax break.

have you ever had a baby or small child wake up in the middle of the night and cant breath b/c they're so stuffed up, or are coughing like crazy?

Yes, and we made sure to keep an adequate supply of medication on hand.

This is a mater of PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. It's a shame if some kids have to suffer because their parents are irresponsible, but why should the deficit increase because of that? Plus, put the old "consumer friendly" rule back in place, and you only incent consumers to be irresponsible. How is that doing them or their kids any favors?

Plus, this offers whole new business opportunities, which is way more important than an asthma attack. Doctors will be able to set up 24/7 prescription services that patients can either subscribe to for a minimal amount or pay for on an as-used basis.

The new regulation is good for business and encourages personal responsibility. It couldn't be any more perfect.

Will!!! You do NOT lose any money from your HSA that you don't spend in a year!!! You are talking about a different kind of account--probably Flexible Spending, entirely different than this discussion.

Another small random comment about the woman who is worried about waking up and her baby can't breathe because of coughing and congestion... if your baby can't breathe, is your first instinct really to go to the store and buy them cold medicine? Stop exaggerating everything into some huge deal. If your baby can't breathe, then you're going to take them to the ER. And the change to OTC medicine coverage is going to have nothing to do with anything.

I have a suggestion.....before December 31st, go to the local drugstore and stock up on cough syrup, cough drops, aspirin, Zyrtec, Claritin, etc. Then, you won't have to worry about waking up in the middle of the night with a sick child and not having medication available. I don't know about you, but I have several bottles of cough syrup and cold tablets in my linen closet just in case.

Will!!! You do NOT lose any money from your HSA that you don't spend in a year!!! You are talking about a different kind of account--probably Flexible Spending, entirely different than this discussion.

No, this article is about FSA's...you are the one who is wrong.

It is about FSAs Trev, but the rules actually apply to both FSAs and HSAs. Personally, I think the new rules are absolutely correct... one of the few things I find palettable about the HC Deform legislation. The tax savings on OTC medicines are so minimal in the grand scheme of things - people need to be fired up about the true problems with the legislation, not this tiny provision that simply closed a loophole that's been around for just a few years anyway.

Citizen K, you did NOT just say that business opportunities are more than an asthma attack. Oh, yeah, you did - which shows your ignorance. Asthma attacks can be fatal. I don't know about you, but I happen to CARE about my kids, and I wouldn't trade their lives for any effing "business opportunity."

Oh its real. My HR department sent us an email on it several weeks ago.

As for how insane we are - hell - just look at who gets elected from both Parties to run the place - only insane people would send these people to DC.

While i am definitely going to have to spend more on OTCs this year, for most families this change is not going to be catastrophic. A normal family does not spend more than $200 a year on OTcs - 30 % tax savings on $200 amounts to $60.

$60 a year loss isnot going to make or break many families. It is just an emotional issue raised by people whose job it is to raise such issues.

Understand this people - We are broke. The government is broke. They need the money to do things that the government does. We don't want to cut back on medicaid, defense, social security, mortgage interest tax return.....we don't want to raise taxes - not even on those that make over $250K a year ...we have a 13 trillion dollar budget deficit ...well the money has gotta come from somewhere ....

I don't really see what can be done differently here ....someone somewhere somehow is gonna have to pay...

I agree completely! Anyone who says they want roads, schools, a well-funded armed forces, high quality defense, medicare, lower health costs... and then says they wouldn't be caught dead voting for someone who would increase taxes... makes me want to bang my head against the wall. Here is something that is not raising taxes that will still give the government some extra money to do things that need to get done (and, I agree, it's not gonna be some huge change in the majority of people's budgets... 30 or 50 bucks a year for someone who spends HUNDREDS on OTC meds.) and everyone is still complaining about it.

Thanks Rob for confirming it. I checked myself and found a few more items which would hurt us because effectively it increases taxes for all those who have large families with kids and who do spend significant money on health.

• Limit the amount of contributions to a flexible spending account for medical expenses to $2,500 per year (Effective January 1, 2013)
  • Increase the threshold for the itemized deduction for unreimbursed medical expenses from 7.5% of adjusted gross income to 10% of adjusted gross income for regular tax purposes (Effective January 1, 2013)

Rajeev, so long as they don't lose a penny from THEIR pockets, our lawmakers don't give a Yankee damn about any families except their own, and sometimes not even that.

Actually there are those of us who do want to cut Medicaid, certain kinds of interest deductions, and many other Government entitlements.

Libs don't want to cut any entitlement programs since that directly effects the largest part of their base. When 45% of the populace pays no taxes at all, money has to come from somewhere, but a lot less of it needs to be going out. I laugh to see the Obamacare supporters who now belittle folks objections to this change, on the basis of the very 'personal responsibility' that the health bill repudiates.

Anyone who says they want roads, schools, a well-funded armed forces, high quality defense, medicare, lower health costs... and then says they wouldn't be caught dead voting for someone who would increase taxes

It makes me want to bang my head on the wall when people justify taxes being raised at a federal level to cover costs of things paid for by state taxes.

The $$ has to come from somewhere, but it can come in the form of trimming the wasteful spending. Do you know you can look up on irs.gov and see that national defense + both wars is only 5% of what they spend every year in Washington?

Just go find one of those sites that lists all the stupid crap that got into stimulous #2. People were getting $$ for insanely stupid projects. http://articles.cnn.com/2010-08-03/politics/senators.stimulus.spending_1_stimulus-plan-flood-control-project-senators?_s=PM:POLITICS

Monkeys on cocaine. New windows for a closed visitor's center. Modern dance as a tool for software development.

Mrinda -

Understand this people - We are broke. The government is broke. They need the money to do things that the government does. We don't want to cut back on medicaid, defense, social security, mortgage interest tax return.....we don't want to raise taxes - not even on those that make over $250K a year ...we have a 13 trillion dollar budget deficit ...well the money has gotta come from somewhere ....

The article claims this legislation will raise federal revenues by $5B in ten years - 500 million a year.

Instead of a new tax on working families, which is what this legislation is (and does not improve the quality of health care), how about we cut $5B from the budget?

Eliminate funding for National Endowment for the Arts - 178M this year 1.78B ten years

Cut federal funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting - 1B request for 2011 - 2013

Eliminate the Presidential Election Fund - 215M -

Require all federal employees to fly coach - 70M - 700M ten years

Eliminate the National Endowment for the Humanities - 140M 1.4B ten years

Close enough. Or just return the 115B or so in unspent funds in the 2009 Stimulus Bill.

Again, how does limiting FSA spending improve health care? How does it help working families?

You'd rather eliminate endowments for the arts and humanities than tell people to buy their own Tylenol? Good lord.

You'd rather eliminate endowments for the arts and humanities than tell people to buy their own Tylenol? Good lord.

And you'd rather put another tax on working families to subsidize opera companies, NEA finger painting contests and Barney reruns on PBS?

Mother of Buddha, give me a Tylenol!

Well, maybe not phrased just like that, but yeah! I don't want opera to be eliminated from my community or public broadcasting to be shut down (some of the only good television left, unless you like watching some nonsense like Bristol Palin in a reality dancing show). And I think it would be very sad if they were eliminated just so that people would have more help to buy oftentimes unneeded OTC medication.

It's not a tax, it was a previously nice little perk in *some* people's health care plans that is now going to go away. And if people are upset about it, have any of them considered just not spending so much money on OTC medications? Take some personal responsibility and think about your spending habits, and don't make the rest of the country suffer because you think that you need more tax breaks on your Tylenol. If you really, seriously need an OTC med to the point that your well being and life is at stake if you don't have it (for example- low dose aspirin for some cardiac patients), then your doctor should be writing you that scrip anyways and your worries will be over regarding the FSA. Come on.

Well, maybe not phrased just like that, but yeah! I don't want opera to be eliminated from my community or public broadcasting to be shut down (some of the only good television left,

Eleanor - Pull out your checkbook, go buy season tickets to the opera and make a large donation to PBS during the next fund drive (only 5% of funding for PBS comes from federal dollars, so I really think they will be fine without the billion they want from American taxpayers).

It's not a tax, it was a previously nice little perk in *some* people's health care plans that is now going to go away

No. FSA contributions are pre-tax. Participants are not taxed on the amount of income that goes into their FSA and thus lowering the amount they can put in and limiting what they can spend the money on, and thus limiting the FSA usefulness, means it is a tax. A tax on working families.

The perk, by the way, is taxpayers subsidizing opera, museums and art contests for a smaller audience who does not want to pay fhe full price for their enjoyment.

Take some personal responsibility and think about your spending habits,

Take some personal responsibility and pay for the things you enjoy, like PBS, opera, museums, and so on, rather than expect your fellow taxpayers to subsidize these luxuries. Especially working families.

What makes you think I don't donate? And speaking of personal responsibility, why do you think it is the government's job to even allow for you to spend pre-tax money on something so frivolous, and relatively expensive considering what it is, like Nyquil? What is the big deal about just paying for it without the help of putting pre-tax money into your FSA? People say they want the government to butt out, unless they start to butt out of something that was helping them, in which case, they want them to put the perks back. Seems a little off.

Eleanor - Please explain to me how these changes to FSA will:

Improve the quality of health care?

Lower the cost of health care?

Helps working families afford health care?

Maybe not, but they also won't kill anyone in their sleep, so I don't understand the uproar.

umm ..actually ...i don't see anything wrong in Mickey's suggestion. Those spending items he talked about are not something vital to the survival of this country as a fully solvent financial entity.

Cutting spending in those areas to preserve our sovereignty ...i can get behind that.

Maybe not, but they also won't kill anyone in their sleep, so I don't understand the uproar

Of course you don't! It's a tax someone else, not you, has to pay. It's a program, which people funded themselves through responsible savings, which the government, in their shortsighted and carefree mentality, swept away as part of the lie of "improviing health care" and "making health care affordable". So who cares, right?

And your beloved programs, like your subsidized television (!), your subsidized radio programming, your opera and your museums, continue along their merry way with trillions of dollars of deficit spending. Who cares, right?

MrIndia - Shout out. You get it. Thanks!

Great post Mickey. Exactly right. This s a fund that I put money into, for my family for our health care, set up with rules between us and our insurance program. Why in the world is the government now telling me we can't use the money for the things we agreed to when we funded the account for the last 3 years? It has nothing to do with anyone but me and my family. Is it a huge dollar amount? No. But it is the nickle and diming us to death that will add up to alot at the end.

I have also read that the HSA health care accounts will probably not be around for long either. Too much of a high deductible threat. God forbid, we as responsible citizens trying to take care of our own spending in regards to healthcare is somehow a threat.

Write and complain to your Representatives and Senators and they will change it if enough people complain.

Oh my representatives and senators are well aware of my feelings about it. I want the whole thing repealed and start over with a bill where my representatives are invited to the design meetings. Obviously Democrat only meetings with supermajority & no Republican votes needed just lead to bills that look like this.

I am still wondering if it is true or just a fake story (or a story with too many typos). Do our lawmakers truly enjoy hurting families or is there any silver lining to it?

No, they don't enjoy hurting families. But they are squeezed for money and we have a massive deficit. This is the price of a massive tax cut, two wars, a huge unfunded entitlement, and TARP. Since we are unwilling to raise to upper tax bracket, reform the financial market, or gain the efficiencies of single payer health care, you can look forward to a lifetime of hurts like this. The days of having your cake and eating it too are over.

This is the price of a massive tax cut, two wars, a huge unfunded entitlement, and TARP.

Be fair.

And also the cost the unfunded 2009 Stimulus Bill, the unfunded 2009 Omnibus Spending Bill, three more unfunded state bailouts for nemployment, medicaid and teachers since 2009, the unfunded bailout of GM and Chrysler to the tune of 49 billion dollars and increased unfunded spending for nearly every federal agency in the past two years.

Both sides of the aisle have ratcheted spending through the roof for the past ten years.

The days of having your cake and eating it too are over.

Indeed. So putting another tax on working families while the federal government continues to sponsor finger painting projects at the NEA, subsidize Barney reruns on PBS, and dump money into new office furniture at the SEC is insulting and criminal.

CitizenK, then why don't THEY take a freaking pay cut? Hell, they are ALL in lucrative businesses - they are not and will not be having to choose between paying the rent and buying groceries, as I have been ever since my company downsized. I've been looking for a job for two years, I have over ten years of experience in my field and I haven't even been called for an interview in the area where I live. I've been called for an interview 300 miles away, but my husband won't relocate until HIS job is gone - and then it will be too late.

Allen,

The Republicans decided not to go to meetings they were invited to. They were instructed to come up with their own plan and they looked around at one another and were like, yeah, we've got nothing. Then after publicly saying that they would not support any sort of reform, they weren't invited to the meetings such that they wouldn't be able to get information at the meetings that would kill reform. To date, republicans still have not come up with a viable solution to address the healthcare issues facing the country. It really hard for anyone to care that your upset with an outcome of something, when your party decides not to participate in the process. Now, let's look at why a super majority existed in the first place; which btw, I think its dangerous to have any part have a super majority. Could it be Bush and a spiraling economy at the end of second term? If people were happy with republican leadership, they would still be in charge.

This is NOT insurance.... We PAY for the flex cards which comes out of our paycheck.. Now Health Insurance will go UP because people will be asking their doctors to write prescriptions.... All part of the EVERYONE will have health insurance master-plan..... and at WHO"S expense????? Higher taxes are on their way people!!!!!

Yes, you pay for it. Why are folks acting like this is "Free" money? These OTCs are NOT free, you pay for it. So what you lose $30 bucks a year? Come on people grow up! I have a 4 year old and I know what it is like to have a sick child. At the end of this year I will stock up on the things I need. Its not like it is going to expire in 2 months. And my Doctor, writes me prescriptions without an office visit because I see him once a year for a physical and he knows my history. Stop whining folks...

Like someone else said, noone wants higher taxes, less medicaid, less military.. how do you think the Gov't is supposed to get funds? Grow money trees?

Like someone else said, noone wants higher taxes, less medicaid, less military.. how do you think the Gov't is supposed to get funds? Grow money trees?

Ummm.. It's only 5B over ten years. How about the government cut spending? There's lots of fat in DC that has nothing to do with what you mentioned.

After all, what do you do in your household when there is less money coming in than going out? Impose a tax on your neighbors, grow a money tree or cut spending?

Stillwaiting - in a way it is insurance, it is offered thru your employers insurance plan,and while I have medical,dental, disability and life insurance thru my employer, I am NOT offered an FSA....YOUR EMPLOYER PROBABLY PAYS FOR THIS PLAN TO BE ADMINISTERED FOR YOU, SO YOUR RATES ALREADY WENT UP JUST BY HAVING THIS BENEFIT!

Tac you just don't get it. It is MY money, taken out of MY paycheck, in an amount that I choose to use on healthcare needs. My company has nothing to do with it. Unless you have researched HSA health accounts, and how they work, you just have no idea what you are talking about. And by the way, I AM the owner of our company. The HSA plans are very cost effective for a business. They are not for everyone however. If you have major health issues and need alot of medicine or doctor care on a regular basis, a standard plan is the way to go. HSA's are for healthy people who want to manager their money and healthcare themselves. I know...how horrible.

Tanisha, after my husband's gall bladder surgery and all the inconclusive tests they ordered trying to find out that it WAS his gallbladder, our FSA is exhausted, so we CAN'T stock up on those meds.

Still waiting this is about FSA not HSA...too different accounts with different guidelines...get a grip

This wasn't part of the health care changes under Obama - this was happening regardless of what you call "Obama-Care".

Not true. This is Obamacare.

My husband and I own our own business and I am the healthcare administrator. This was an update to the new Obamacare agenda. We get updated monthly on what is to come.

Thanks Obama for another great change. Thank you also for the 25% increase in my health care premium costs that were announced by my employer for 2011 which completely wiped out the 2.5% raise I received. I am so glad to be paying for the adult children of my co-workers to be insured and for other Americans to have "free" healthcare. Awesome.

Megg - My company just announced that there is going to be no increase to our premiums.

Your premiums are not dictated by "CureAmericaCare" law alone. There are other factors involved.

My insurance premiums went up before the Obamacare bill passed. Who do I get to blame for that? Oh, yeah, it's the greedy insurance companies.

This wasn't part of the health care changes under Obama - this was happening regardless of what you call "Obama-Care".

Oh good grief. The very first sentence in the article says it is. It's disturbing that people can so blindly defend (without even checking to see if it's true or not) a bunch of politicians and lawyers in Washington.

The health-care overhaul has taken some of the flex out of flexible spending accounts, which let workers pay medical expenses with pretax dollars.

Ok what about people who's employer does not offer and FSA? Like mine? So I have to pay the taxes and you all don't? how is that fair?

Megg: I hate to pop your bubble, but my health insurance costs have gone up EVERY year even without the new health care plan. Why do you think they are trying to stop this. This is just like the credit card laws that were voted on in 2008, but didn't go into effect until 2/09....it gave the credit card companies all sorts of time to jack up our interest rates, double our minimum payments, etc. Now, the health insurers know that they have until 2014 to wreck havoc on everything before they have to stop. But....health care costs STILL continue to go up every year for everyone.....it's a moot point.

tac210,

You have the option of enrolling in a high deductible plan which makes you eligible for an HSA. So if you would like to switch insurers you can purchase health care with tax free dollars like the rest of us. Don't act like you can't just because you are uneducated about all the available options to you.

No i do not, my company offers an HMO and a PPO, both offered by the same insurer. I do not make enough money to purchase an individual plan outside what is offered to my by my employer...and guess what, I work in benefits administration..FSA's are only offered thru an employer, that is how it is a pre-tax benefit.

27 X 10 = $270

For the two of you it is $540.

30 % of 540 = $162. If you tax rate is lower than 30%, the total savings would be less than this.

$162 lost in a year equals $13.50 per month.

Substantial sum but not enough to make a huge hue and cry over unless you are trying to make a point against what they derisively call ObamaCare and what i call "CureAmericaCare".

MrIndia. I beg to differ. If someone is on a fixed income, or a family is trying to survive on a single income, $13.50 per month can quickly become a significant amount.

$13.50 a month for just one of the meds taken. What if they need 10 meds?

Stop defending those thieves in Washington who are just tryign to dip their hands into our health care plans that we pay for that actually work.

They are not thieves. They are our government and they need our tax money to pay for medicare, social security, health care, vaccinations, defense spending, oceanic research, unemployment, providing security to our elected officials, FBI, DEA and such ....

Sure there is lot of waste due to inefficiencies in the system but what do you want ? A government less anarchy ?

DavidP, your doctor can just write you a note next time you are in his office. Boom. You can use your HSA again for those meds that you need.

Yes once again, all well and good for those of you who have th option of an FSA...my company does not offer it, and I have to pay for my OTC, prescription, co-pays and deductibles WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF ANY TAX BREAKS. So be glad you have the benefit at all.

They are not thieves. They are our government and they need our tax money to pay for medicare, social security, health care, vaccinations, defense spending, oceanic research, unemployment, providing security to our elected officials, FBI, DEA and such ....

Sure there is lot of waste due to inefficiencies in the system but what do you want ? A government less anarchy ?

Our government is not paying for anything.

We have a 1.5Trillion dollar deficit this year. 5B in taxes on working families over ten years will not fix it.

We have 14Trillion dollars in debt and more being acquired every day.

We are now printing money (600Billion in quantitivate easing) worth nothing more than the paper it is printed on. We are now devaluing our currency to a dangerous level.

And the Chinese are lowering our credit rating as they watch the value of their US treasury securities and dollar holdings drop daily.

Anarchy will get here as fast as the free spending Congress and White House can bring it.

MrIndia, they are thieves, they are liars and they are crooks. They do not care the tiniest bit about the people of this country - they care ONLY about power.

Oops *wasting*

My doctor prescribes me medicine without an office visit. How? Because I go once a year for a physical. He gets all of my history and then when I call at a later date, he just faxes a prescription to my pharmacy. Once he told me to go to urgent care. So you do not have to "see" a doctor. Make one appointment, and then he/she can prescribe from there.. Its really not that difficult.

Working mom you contradict yourself...YOU set the money aside into your FSA account, now just figure out how much you spent last year on the OTC, deduct it from your 2010 FSA and SET IT ASIDE for your OTC stuff. yes you lose a relatively small tax savings, BUT at least you have this benefit, I DO NOT, as my employer does not offer an FSA.

Tanisha, that's YOUR doctor. Difference medical offices have different policies. One of the specialists my husband had to see for his gallbladder surgery not only charged the $50 office visit, but they charge $10 for EACH form that we needed signed.

Most specialist require an office visit before or after a surgery....if you have a good relationship with a primary care physician, they will typically call prescriptions in for you...hopefully surgery is not something that happens every year...

Agreed

Well, Eureka, our household is four, but all of us have to use an OTC allergy medication from time to time, my husband and younger son every day. This is not a "small" change. This will drive us to declare bankruptcy before the end of next year.

OH FOR CHRISSAKES--bankruptcy? Seriously? Exaggerate much?? Get your doctor to write a note saying you need the allergy medicine and you can use your HSA account to pay for it. If your family members have such serious issues with allergies, I know you they see a doctor regularly.

icstars - yes, bankruptcy. We are almost there already. We went from two full-time incomes, one with two or more hours of overtime per week, to ONE income, with NO overtime allowed. We lost our home when I lost my job. We are hanging on by the very skin of our teeth and this move will remove the skin.

yes you will be able to still use your FSA, all you have to do is get a prescription from your Dr. He call call/fax it in.

I never heard of a company that matched your FSA dollars. 401k maybe. What companies do that? In my family, we work for Reuters, Dupont and GM, and our FSA dollars are what we put in, with no match. Are you sure?

I agree, I work for a hospital and they do not match FSA money. I've never heard of that. In fact I don't even use an FSA because any money you don't use by the end of the year, you lose. And I didn't want to be rushing around buying 15 bags of cough drops at the end of the year just to not lose my FSA money that I didn't calculate out very well.

Using outright lies to make a point is the standard right wing tactics.

My husband's employer does not match FSA allotments. Before my company "downsized" and Satan fired me, my FSA allotment was not matched.

I do know of several companies, and work for one now that has at least a degree of FSA matching

We don't match our employees on the funding, but we put a set amount in their account each month.

I don't think that making one or two broad statements makes someone "ignorant, self consumed and selfish". For the record, that is a pretty broad statement itself. I think it means that two people disagree. I think everyone needs to calm down a little bit. It's not like our homes are being plundered. Some people who spend a very large amount on OTC meds are going to end up paying about 50 bucks extra in taxes. It sucks, but it's not the end of the world. Come on.

I'm certain it does, Doubtful.

And more health insurance increases because everyone will have their doctors write the prescriptions for these OTC items hence..... More use of our health insurance.... People.....Think.....We are on our way to being totally dependent on the government....Socialism at it's finest!!!

JD - we need to make freaking Congress take a pay cut!

so now you will pay in post tax rather than pre tax dollars. it's not like you were getting them for free and i wonder how many of them are from companies who actually guarantee what's in those supplements and have REAL peer reviewed double blind placebo controlled studies showing their effectiveness and safety? and it's people who insist they are "intitled" who complain the most when someone else gets a benefit that they don't agree with. those supplements are right where they belong, and when the companies who make them are held to safety and efficacy standards, you MIGHT have an argument.

It may not say HSA on it, but I will bet you a dollar to a donut there is something in how the check is numbered and/or coded that will flag it if you try to use it for that.

I suppose you are right. Just wondering how they would be able to track every single persons purchases. What a waste of time! I don't use ours for over the counter stuff anyway but it makes me mad being told that I couldn't if I wanted to!

That's not how it works. You keep all your receipts, and they randomly choose accounts to audit, just like the IRS. If you are caught "cheating" you pay a fine and have to replace the money.

stopthespending, last year, they audited every single allergy shot my son got, though they did not do that the yar before. This year, they have audited every single prodcedure done on my husband while they were trying to find out what was going on with his insides - turned out to be gall bladder. If you still have yours and you start having mistery abdominal pain and it isn't kidneystones, make them to the ultrasound FIRST - you'll save hundreds of dollars, maybe more.