med expenses on taxes, those co-pays add up

[Guest guest]

If you've never kept track of your out-of-pocket medical expenses,

think about doing so this year.

It doesn't have to require spreadsheets and complex accounting -- I

just use a notebook to log entries and an envelope for receipts.

Anything covered by insurance or reimbursed through a flex account

doesn't count. But co-pays do -- for clinical visits as well as meds.

Many OTC meds count. Most DME and many supplies count. Mileage counts.

And it's cumulative for everyone in your family.

These out-of-pocket expenses have to equal 7% of your income -- but

that is frighteningly easy to do.

Even with just a two-person family, good insurance and a flex account,

my expenses were more than 10% of income this year. (Of course, it was

a very bad year.)

Just back from the tax guy,

Pam

(mom to Quantell, 16, dx 1996, tx 2001, dx recurrence with AIH overlap

2006)