Flexible Spending Accounts

[gfgypsyqueen]

Unsure where this post should go.

Just started a new job and have the option to sign up for the flexible spending account. Normally I don't use this. In reading the paperwork it mentions typical items covered and these two caught my eye:

"Food, organic, the excess cost for the person allergic to chemically treated food.

Food, protein rich, the excess cost to mitigate effects of hypoglycemia."

Could this mean gluten-free food is covered?

[maryjk]

Short answer, yes.

Long answer, you will have to check with your administrator to see if they are set up for it. But under law the difference between gluten free food and its regular counterpart is eligible. Many administrators do not want to hassle with the difference and will count the whole cost. Lucky you if they do.

[little d]

Cool that is good to know because I have a healthcare spending account. To bad I don't have anything left in it, I only contributed $20 each pay period, next year I'll have to contribute more. It at times has been a life saver, I would go ahead and contribute to it, I have needed to take someone or myself to the doc (ie my broken foot) when I didnt have any money to go it has saved me. Mine is in a form of a debit card, so it is really easy. The other one that we had I had to send in the recipts and the following week got a check.

donna

[GeoffCJ]

Cool that is good to know because I have a healthcare spending account. To bad I don't have anything left in it, I only contributed $20 each pay period, next year I'll have to contribute more. It at times has been a life saver, I would go ahead and contribute to it, I have needed to take someone or myself to the doc (ie my broken foot) when I didnt have any money to go it has saved me. Mine is in a form of a debit card, so it is really easy. The other one that we had I had to send in the recipts and the following week got a check.

donna

Is it pre-tax deductions? I'm confused what the benefit is if it's for some regular expense. If it's pre-tax that'd make sense.

Geoff

[tarnalberry]

FSA's are pre-tax money set aside for medical only expenses. If, at the end of the year, you don't use it, you lose it. (And, FYI, it's reimbursement based, not something you can "draw from" as you go.)