We increased our FSA deduction this year because we thought our son was going to get braces. Well I took him to the orthodontist today and he wants to wait another 6 months before putting them on our son. Now it looks like we're going to have over $1000 left in our account by the end of the year after our other normal expenses. None of us wear glasses or contacts and there's only so much Tylenol and cold medicine I can stock up on. Any other ideas? One of my friends suggested teeth whitening but even that won't add up to much if both of us have it done. I just hate the thought of losing money we've worked for. Does anyone have some 'creative' ideas???
Thanks for the suggestions. I am going to call the orthodontist and find out if they will let me prepay. There are so many technicalities with an FSA (like you're really not supposed to pre-pay for stuff) but I'll keep my fingers crossed and let you all know what they say. Unfortunately you have to turn a receipt to prove the expense is legitimate and things that are not can be denied. I'd hate to have to pay the money back. I do know things like hair removal & cosmetic surgeries are not approved charges otherwise I would have done that a long time ago! FSAs, unlike HSAs do not allow you to roll the money over and our plan does not have a grace period anymore (they used to but not this year). Thanks again and I'll repost when I find out what the orthodontist says.
Since you have a child you may have varicous veins (sp?) you could get those taken care of... and perhaps some laser hair removal... how awesome not to shave!?!?!
Hope that helps!
Why not ask the doc if you can "pay on account"? You will have to spend the money, but you can pre-pay.
S.
My husband's company allows a grace period of three months
after the end of the year to use the money that you've set aside in the flexible spending account.
You may want to check with the Human Resources department that handles your HSA to see if that's an option. Then that could put you in the 6 month time waiting period that your orthodontist is recommending.
If no one else in the family needs any dental work, that suggestion could work.
C. W.
I have had the same problem but I always manage to spend it. I went to the eye dr. just to get checked, maybe everyone in your family could go. Don't forget any monthy meds your family might be on or copays at the dr. Thier are some stipulations but do you have orthodics in your shoes? You dont have to be old to need them. If your on your feet much you might like them. thats all i can think of right now. good luck!
If braces are a sure thing, eventually, perhaps you can prepay?
Does anyone have any new freckles,moles or spots on their skin? A dermatologist visit may be needed!! Always good to be checked out and be proactive. Good luck.
I wonder if you could prepay the orthodontist since he seems to think your son will need them eventually.
Hi A.,
Depending on how your account works, I would get all those things that I dream of...I detoxed my house a few years back..for all my bath and body, cleaning supplies, cosmetics, etc for only $200.00 from a reputable, established company. I am buying chlorine filters for my showers now. I was on well water for years. When I moved to the city, I realized how much damage chlorine can do not only to your skin, but your overall health. (Do you know that there is more chlorine in our average city water than what is required by the health department in pools?)Some doctors, especially ones with a natural "bent" will write a prescription for these things, escpecially ir there is an obvious medical need, like Asthma or ADD.
We stopped having our flex account when my kid's stopped getting sick. I attribute it all to detoxing the house and getting natural, safe , more effective products to use.
Hope this helps,
M.
P.S. My daughter's ADD and ADHD diagnosis went away at that time also. Good luck to you.
You could get any mercury fillings (the gray metal ones) re-filled with the white kind. you know if you want to spend the money anyway...
What about seeing if you could work with your Dentist on paying in advance for the first installment of the braces by the end of the year?
Good luck!
Dermatalogical procedures and chiropractic message should be covered.
Hi, A. --
Double check your FSA plan -- if the money has been put aside from your paycheck, it's likely not "use it or lose it." I was in human resources before baby came, and I've never seen one operate that way. What will likely happen if you can't use the money you've deferred is that you'll get a check at the end of the plan year. Granted, it will be taxed, but it would have been taxed if it had remained in your paycheck anyway.
Or....if you're sold on your orthodontist, maybe you can arrange an advance payment this year for work he'll do next year????
Hope that helps!
J. C.
Hi ,
we ran into a similar case last year so my husband went to get more chiropractic services ( thats included in the plan : like 40 visits a year) , now they also have a massage service through him at his office: yep you guessed it: hey worth a try to check into if you need to spend the money!!
:)
good luck
N.
A.,
I just saw your post. If you can't prepay your orthodontist maybe you could get physicals for you and your husband. They are fairly expensive and good to get done every year or so.
Just a thought!
D.
yes! take the $1000 and put it in a CD for 6 months to get some interest off that money :) You could take the $1000 out of it in 6 months and just roll the interest (I think you can do that)
Or, do something that you normally wouldn't take the time to do for your body.
Sort of like getting your car detailed professionally. How often does that happen? LOL
So get your body detailed. Do you have moles or other unsightly marks (like skin tags) that you could get removed? Dermatologist work like acne treatments or botox? Got ears that stick out too much? Some plastic surgery on the waist (like I need) or scar removal/reduction?
Get crazy and look for something on the body that needs an "enhancement" :)
Can you possibly prepay the orthodontist for his braces. I worked for a Lasik surgeron for 8 years. We accepted prepayment for surgery for those patients that needed to use their flex money by the end of the year. Just a thought.
I was also going to suggest to make a payment to the orthodontist and just have a credit on your account with them, so the money could be applied to the braces like you intended!
I wonder if your orthodontist would be willing to charge you now, but put them on in 6 mos.?
Can you prepay your dentist? Maybe if you talk to your orthodontist and tell him you need a payment plan he will let you pay some of it up front. I am sorry you are in this situation - isn't that luck?
I love FSA accounts. My suggestion would be to go to Sam's/Costco and buy bulk over-the-counter items that you use and look at getting them for the year. I agree that there is only so much tylenol you can buy, but you can look at buying first-aid kits and maybe do this also as a part of Christmas gifts for family members. This is what my family is doing this year, buying each other disaster-preparedness supplies (weird, but makes sense). If your company provided a list of eligible expenses I would go through it and see what fits your life (i.e. birth control pills, medical/dental/vision copays, etc.). One final suggestion would be to look at drugstore.com and they have FSA approved products on their website and can either charge it to a FSA Visa card or to a regular bank account and will detail the receipt of all FSA products. Hope this helps, if not, you can always buy extra baby stuff and donate it to a women's shelter.
If you are sure about the orthodontist being the one you will have put on your son's braces, pay him now! You can always have a credit towards the braces on your account with him!
A. B:
I am a full-time pediatric dentist and thus, work closely with many orthodontists. You should explain your situtation regaruding the unused FSA that may expire. There are things he may be able to do now without putting your son into active orthodontic treatment. For example, he can possibly start w/ xrays and study models and even banding and bracketing your son without actually placing the wire in them. The wire is what activates the treatment-making teeth move. The actual process of just having brackets and bands on does not activate treatment. Sometimes, orthodontists want to wait until all the primary teeth have exfoliated to start. But if you explain your FSA situation he may be able to start with the permanent teeth that are already in your son's mouth. Another thought is to get a second opinion with another orthodontist, unless you are absolutely sure you would like your son to receive treatment from this particular orthodontist. Orthodontists do vary greatly in their treatment and timing approach. I hope this helps and that I haven't totally confused you.
C. P
Hi, This is B..
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Thank you for reading.
A.,
I know nothing about FSA's but...can you not put it back into the FSA account? If not can you put in into a savings account, trust fund, college fund, donate to a local charity, pay off some debt (if there is any), invest in stock of some kind, "loan" it to a trust worthy friend who'll give it back in 6 months when you'll need it for braces.
Good luck!
