I had a love/hate relationship with my FSA over this past year.

By a technicality, I'm not eligible for a health savings account as part of a high-deductible health plan. But, being a savvy health shopper, I opted for the next best thing – a flexible spending account that allows me to set aside up to $5,000 tax-free to use for health care expenses.

Here's the problem. The health care expenses I was realistically anticipating in 2011 were not eligible for my FSA distributions – things like contact solution, and the most irritatingly ineligible expense, the over-the-counter drug without a prescription. So of course by the end of the year, having a superfluous amount of FSA money, I splurged more than $500 on contacts and designer glasses before my "use it or lose it" deadline.

Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to BenefitsPRO, part of your ALM digital membership.

  • Critical BenefitsPRO information including cutting edge post-reform success strategies, access to educational webcasts and videos, resources from industry leaders, and informative Newsletters.
  • Exclusive discounts on ALM, BenefitsPRO magazine and BenefitsPRO.com events
  • Access to other award-winning ALM websites including ThinkAdvisor.com and Law.com
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.