we have a new Health Savings Account - & questions

   Last year, my wife's employer switched over from "traditional" insurance
to one where we are essentially hit with $2k out of pocket each year.  They
did it midway through the year, so we ended up owing $2k right near the end
of the year, then again due to new baby right at the beginning of this year.
I realized if I could delay payment of most of last year's, I could show
payment of nearly $4k this year.

  I set up a Health Savings Account, put $ into it, and then used $ to pay
the amounts.

  Now my wife has questions about what, exactly, we can use the money for
and deduct.

  For example, due to the new baby, she took some time off, and half time,
and we need to pay the premium for our health insurance ourselves for a bit.
The folks at work said this was not an allowable expense from an HSA.  I
just wanted to be sure, because this is an obvious health related expense.

  Would tampons be health related expenses?

  How about food?  One guy I know deducts $2k in food expenses every year,
claiming that he would most definitely die without the food, and therefore
it is an absolutely necessary expense to keep up his health.  He is right,
of course - no one can remain healthy without eating food, but I'm pretty
sure that is outside the intention of the health savings account.  But then,
if vitamins are allowed, and they aren't nearly as necessary as food.... you
see what I mean.

  Is there some place that lists a concrete list of the allowable expenses
for a HSA?  Thanks!

 
The second google hit on "health savings account regulation" was the HSA
Resource Center: http://www.hsaresourcecenter.com/expenses/qme.php

 
OG never does any of his own research. That's what he uses newsgroups
for.
Wonder who wipes his a^^.

 

Of course not.  There's no health impact to not using them.

Cindy Hamilton

 On Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:45:12 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton


He's just ragging on us.