SEX TOYS: NO
There are many little-known, rule-monitoring companies that administer F.S.A. accounts for employers. These third-party administrators have seen a lot, including plenty of receipts for vibrators of all sorts.
Perhaps some of the confusion here comes from the fact that expensive massage devices could be eligible, according to Hilarie Aitken, chief executive of one of the administrators, Navia Benefit Solutions in Renton, Wash. That said, you may need what’s known as a letter of medical necessity (L.M.N.) from a practitioner that explains what ails you and how one of these devices will help.
KNEE SURGERY, CAT: NOT THIS TIME
A request arrived not long ago for some joint repair reimbursement.
Benefit Extras, an administrator in Lakeville, Minn., received a receipt stapled onto a claim form. The account holder listed a provider’s name, date, procedure and cost. It was only when the administrator removed the staple that someone noticed a notation underneath indicating that the operation took place at a veterinary clinic.
“We went back and asked who had the knee surgery,” said Chris Erickson, the founder of Benefit Extras. “Had they been able to say that it had been performed on a taxpayer, we would have paid it.”
But it wasn’t, so they didn’t.
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT CAT (SINGULAR): YES
Ms. Erickson also regaled me with a tale of a $300 cat. It passed muster, eventually.
At first, the company provisionally rejected reimbursement and asked for an L.M.N. Back came the doctor’s note, describing the patient. “She is diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks and recurrent major depressive disorder, in partial remission. She would benefit from having a companion animal (cat) in her residence.”
This was enough. The cat’s needs — like food and veterinarian visits — are also F.S.A.-eligible. The cat’s wants, however — say a scratching post — are not.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nytimes.com
