Spring Cleaning & Getting Screwed BY Both Sides
I cleaned out the medicine cabinet today. Yikes! I think everything was expired.
Everything!
I did keep some emergency supplies that weren't THAT expired.
As in expired in 2008 rather than 2002. The record holder was a tube of something from 2001. I even had pup meds in there from 2002.So yes this below is destined for discard:
What a waste of money. It makes me sick because ca-ching this is probably several hundred dollars.
The story behind most of it was a crazy December 31st trip to Costco in 2005.
We had $300 use or lose dollars (it had been a blissfully uneventful year at the doctor and dentist) left in a flexible spending account so we bought anything and everything including:
Four huge tubes Hydro-cortisone.Don't ask! It must have been an itchy year.
Why? So the flexible spending account douches who question every well-visit to the doctor and reject every two out of three of our reimbursal requests didn't get to keep it. Honestly, I think that's their master plan to make it too difficult to get out money back, so we give up and let them keep it.
Screw them! I'd rather throw away 2 vats of Milk of Magnesia (not even sure what this is used for) that let them have the $20 it cost.
Sadly, it looks like Obama's screwing over us middle class, insured, flexible spending members anyways and will limit these to $2500...so much for braces.
With my luck, next year will be a very eventful year and we will blow our flexible spending wad by March. Doesn't matter anyway because apparently they won't be allowing me to use my own saved up money on over the counter medications.
All I can say was so much for the accusations that the right was baselessly scaring the middle class. Seems our medical insurance bill will go up next year to pay for it. Seems like a lot of taxes and penalties and over stepping into a private realm. I have a friend with a daughter at Georgetown. When the Health Care Plan went through, dozens of kids decided pre-med wasn't for them. This is the tip of the iceberg. Said friend, from Russia originally, paid $10000 to have sister's breast lump diagnosed, removed, and treated in Korea because the waitlist was 6 months to even diagnose the lump there. It's a good thing they all have medical insurance, yes?
So feeling depressed on both fronts: where do I safely throw away all this wasted medicine? And where do we go as a nation where already insurance companies are talking on passing on fees and taxes to the middle class? Sigh...
At the least the medicine cabinet is clean and most importantly, the Chloraseptic is NOT expired. Heh!
So feeling depressed on both fronts: where do I safely throw away all this wasted medicine? And where do we go as a nation where already insurance companies are talking on passing on fees and taxes to the middle class? Sigh...
At the least the medicine cabinet is clean and most importantly, the Chloraseptic is NOT expired. Heh!
5 comments:
The problem with FSA accounts is that the unused money ends up going to who ever is contracted to administer the plan or the company you work for. It is in their best interest to deny payment because they get the money. It is a total scam!
Well laying the politics of it all aside for now (not really sure what I think at the moment) - I am really happy for you that you threw away all those expired medicines. Hoarding expired medicines is one of those things old people start to do, like getting up at 5am for no buggery reason except to "get an early start on the day", and saying to kids "I got your nose!" etc. :P
Proper disposal of expired medications:
http://www.foxchasepediatrics.com/News%20Pages/Disposal%20of%20Old%20Medications%209-8-03.htm
http://www.ghc.org/pharmacy/medicationdisposal.jhtml
http://www.smarxtdisposal.net/index.html
HTH!
I've never had a problem get reimbured for my FSA. Funny, occupational therapy and prescriptions to the tune of hundreds per year get paid! Sadly, hubby refuses to apply for his FSA....so we just pay out of pocket...all the time. *sigh*
Here's to hoping we get some relief soon, but I have my doubts.
The anonymous poster above is so wrong. An FSA is one of the few ways that we tax payers can save having to pay taxes on our earned dollars. Yes, if you elect to have more money deducted by your employer than you will use in a Plan year, then you lose it. So don’t have too much taken out. On the other hand, if you know you are going to leave your job then go ahead and turn in receipts for every dollar you will have deducted that year. Go ahead and get glasses, get that dental crown, etc. And you will receive back every dime even if you did not have that much deducted. And leave the employer. I have done it. That is why there is risk on both sides.
Good for you on buying the over the counter meds. It is the last year we can do so on the FSA. But the $2,500 limit goes into effect January 2013. So sign up for as much as you can if you have the need for the next few years.
I hope you don’t mind me commenting to Busy With Kids above, but you can have your husband’s expenses submitted to your FSA. It doesn’t matter who signs up or who is covered on what plan—heck you don’t even have to have a medical plan to sign up for the FSA plan. Your FSA will reimburse for whichever family member’s expenses regardless of who you cover for other health plan offerings at your job. (sorry if this is not what you meant).
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