Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Need to Know Regarding Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) in 2011

Effective January 1, 2011, you will no longer be able touse your health savings account (HSA) dollars to pay for over-the-counter (OTC) medicines at a pharmacy, supermarket or other retail store without a prescription from your doctor. If you have a health care debit card you can still use it ot pay for the prescription medicines, including insulin, if those are eligible expenses under an employer's health plan. If you have a prescription for an OTC medicine, such as Zyrtec or Prilosec, and use your HSA to pay for it you will need to keep copies of the prescription and receipt for the purchase with your tax records.

Beginning January 1, 2011, if your HSA is used to pay for items or services that are not qualified medical expenses, the IRS penalty will increase from 10 percent to 20 percent of the HSA dollars used.

Information provided from UnitedHealthcare November 2010

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