Warning: mktime() expects parameter 1 to be long, string given in /home/bettyt45/public_html/insurance-integrity/wp-content/plugins/oldpostlinks_v1_1-disable-allcats.php on line 119
Warning: mktime() expects parameter 1 to be long, string given in /home/bettyt45/public_html/insurance-integrity/wp-content/plugins/oldpostlinks_v1_1-disable-allcats.php on line 119
Warning: mktime() expects parameter 1 to be long, string given in /home/bettyt45/public_html/insurance-integrity/wp-content/plugins/oldpostlinks_v1_1-disable-allcats.php on line 119
Warning: mktime() expects parameter 1 to be long, string given in /home/bettyt45/public_html/insurance-integrity/wp-content/plugins/oldpostlinks_v1_1-disable-allcats.php on line 119
Americans spend over $30 billion each year on complementary and alternative therapies, mostly out of their own pocket. That is cause few health insurance plans cover expenses like homeopathy, acupuncture, or Chinese medicine. But if ya own a Health Savings Account, these expenses are 100% tax deductible.
Health Savings Accounts allow ya to set up a tax-deductible account to pay for medical expenses that are not covered by your health insurance. These include expenses to cover your deductible, and other medical expenses like dental and eyeglasses. But many don’t realize that HSA funds can be used to pay for virtually any type of medical service, as long as it pertains to the treatment or prevention of a particular health condition.
Because currency withdrawn from a health savings account to pay medical expenses is tax-free, anybody who has an HSA can funnel all alternative medical expenses through their HSA and get a tax write-off. This could include biofeedback, naturopathy, Ayurvedic medicine, aromatherapy, magnetic healing, reflexology, and the list goes on.
People who use complementary therapies are often very health conscious, and go to historical physicians less often. So it does not make sense for them to be paying a high premium for a historical health insurance plan with a co-pay, particularly when their medical treatments are not covered anyway. Instead, many are choosing a low cost high-deductible HSA plan.
Alternative Therapies Becoming Mainstream
Many hospitals are now offering complementary treatments. The web site for the
Some group health insurance plans are beginning to cover more complementary expenses, but there is still very little coverage for these expenses in individual or family plans. Those that cover chiropractic limit coverage to 12 - 20 visits per year, and a few will cover a limited amount of acupuncture. But very few if any cover hypnotherapy, Reiki, iridology, or faith healers.
Why Complementary Medicine
The conventional medicine practiced by most MDs is called allopathic medicine. The philosophy of this system is to treat disease and injury using counteractive methods. For instance, if ya have a fever ya may take aspirin to make it go down, if your cholesterol is elevated ya may take a statin to reduce it, if ya have heartburn ya may take an antacid. The thinking is mostly focused on removing the symptoms of disease, and the primary treatment modalities are surgery and prescription drugs.
But there are other ways to look at things. Naturopathic medicine is based on the belief in the body’s own healing powers, which can be strengthened through the use of certain foods, vitamins, herbs, or other “natural” treatments. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is based on ancient Chinese theories about the balance of yin and yang. Ayurvedic medicine is based on principles of movement, metabolism, and structure.
Part of the growing use of complementary therapies is a reaction to the costs, side effects, and philosophy of conventional allopathic medicine. Physicians get much of their continuing education from the pharmaceutical business, and they work in an environment where the insurance providers and the patients are both looking for a quick fix. The result is that the average 60 year old is now taking 5 regular medications, yet there is little expectation that those drugs will ever cure the health problems for which they’re being used. Many consumers see this, and instead are using other methods to try to get to the root of their sickness.
What is Considered a “Qualified HSA Expense”
Qualified medical expenses have been partially defined in IRS Publication 502, and through various fed court rulings. There is no definitive list, but there are really very few restrictions as long as the procedure is for the treatment or prevention of a particular health condition. For instance, ya could not use your HSA funds to pay for a relaxing massage for your own personal pleasure. But if your physician recommends ya get a massage for particular medical reasons, this is considered a qualified expense. Yoga would not normally be considered a qualified medical expense, but it would be if it was recommended as a physical therapy following some sort of accident.
Some may question why the government would give a tax deduction for somebody to use some crazy energy vibration contraption to cure their cancer. But this is as it should be. No 1 but ya should be able to decide what type of treatment ya will use for your own illnesses. By empowering individuals to manage their health as they see fit, HSAs encourage personal responsibility and help loosen the monopoly on healthcare that conventional medicine has had for the past few decades.
Post a Comment