If your employer offers both Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), you may be wondering if it’s possible to have both an HSA and an FSA account at the same time. HSA/FSA Accounts If you are enrolled in an HSA-eligible health plan, you can enroll in an HSA account as long as you aren’t also enrolled in Medicare or have some other, disqualifying coverage. Traditional FSA accounts cover most of the same
Did you know you can use your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) for some certain nutritional expenses? Qualified medical expenses for these tax-advantaged accounts include “the costs of diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, and the costs for treatments affecting any part or function of the body.” Simply put, the eligible nutritional item has to relieve or prevent a physical or mental defect or illness. Eligible expenses must have a
Spring is a wonderful time of year – unless you suffer from allergies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that flu season can last into May. Just as COVID seems to be dying down, another variant may be just around the corner. With all three of these illnesses presenting some of the same symptoms, how can we tell if what we have is an allergy, the flu, or a COVID infection? Seasonal Allergy
Did you know that the average office worker spends 1,700 hours in front of a computer screen every year? That’s what the contact lens manufacturer Acuvue found in a study on screen time they sponsored a few years ago. And that only accounted for computer screens, not those of phones, tablets, etc. With an uptick in complaints about eye strain, dry eye, headache and insomnia, it’s a great time for employers to review the eye
For many of us, our children are our greatest gifts. But caring for even the happiest and healthiest children can take a toll on parents. Add full-time work (or multiple part-time jobs) into the mix, and some days may feel like a challenge you can’t overcome. Now imagine taking care of an aging parent at the same time. Add in homeschooling during a pandemic and/or a child with special needs. Exhausted yet? The idea of
Did you know that it’s National Children’s Dental Health Month? Parents have a lot of questions about their kids’ teeth. Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) takes this opportunity to raise awareness regarding children’s dental health with tips and tricks. And, you can use your benefit accounts to pay for much of it! Children’s Dental Care 101 According to the Centers for Disease Control, children with poor dental health miss more school and receive
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced new preventive care and screening guidelines aimed at reducing out-of-pocket expenses for women, infants, children, and adolescents. The new guidelines take effect for plan years beginning in 2023. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), certain group health plans and insurance issuers must provide coverage for preventive health services with no out-of-pocket cost. More than 150 million
Healthcare costs are expected to trend higher by about 6.5 percent this year. COVID-19 and mental health care will drive the increase, among other health issues. But some relief is already here. Effective January 1, the No Surprises Act aims to protect patients after a service or product has already been provided by banning certain out-of-network billings and educating patients on how to question charges. The Transparency in Coverage rule, also now in effect, will help patients before a service
More than a third of employees in a recent survey said that the medical bills they receive after seeking care are “always or usually” a surprise to them. Yet, 28% say they pay them anyway because they don’t want to fight with the insurance company. What causes surprise medical billings? Insurance plans cover large portions of medical care, but deductibles or co-pays may come into play. Out-of-network providers may charge more for a service than
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both African American and Caucasian women. Despite the launch of numerous awareness initiatives, only a little more than half of women understand the risks. With understanding comes preventative measures. So let’s look at what heart disease is and what we (especially women) can do about it. What is heart disease? “Heart disease” includes a variety of conditions