It’s My Imagination

Health Savings Account

August 10, 2008 on 6:52 pm | In Family Health, Finance | No Comments

This is our first year to have a Federal Health Savings Account.  The HSA has money deducted directly from the paycheck on a pre-tax basis and then can be used to pay for health expenses that health insurance doesn’t cover.  Qualified expenses include co-pays, certain over the counter medications, eyeglasses and contact lenses (not covered by other insurance).  The downsided of an HSA is that if you don’t use the money by the end of the plan year, you lose whatever is left in the account.

This possibility of losing money has caused me to be very nervous about the whole thing.  The primary reason we chose to use a HSA this year was because our daughter was having braces put on her teeth.  This is a huge expense, but, as I’ve since learned, we don’t pay it all up front.  We paid a percentage down and the rest is paid in monthly payments.  Our dental insurance picks up a portion as well, so we had to calculate what our portion was going to be.

I did all the calculations and had the exact amount.  We had planned on paying the full amount of our portion up front. Then after submitting the paperwork and meeting the deadline, I discovered that orthodontic expenses are REQUIRED to be payment on a monthly payment basis in order to qualify for the HSA.  WTH?!  So, we lost out on the 10% discount the orthodontist offered for full payment, in order to use pre-tax dollars to pay for our daughter’s braces.

I spent a good part of today calculating how our account is balancing out.  Because we’re paying the orthodontist monthly, we wouldn’t be using the entire amount of money we put into the account this year.  In order to not lose the money, I’ve also used it to pay for my new prescription sunglasses as well as several prescriptions and doctor visit copays.  I feel confident now that at the end of the year, we will have used our pre-tax money and used it wisely.

Soon, I will need to be calculating how much will need to go in to next year’s Health Savings Account.

Tags: health savings accounts, HSA

Cabin in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

August 8, 2008 on 11:04 pm | In Family Health, travel | 2 Comments

Last month, we went to Tennessee and, along with my family, rented a 4 bedroom cabin in Pigeon Forge. There were also 2 living rooms, each with a queen size sleeper sofa. It was a great place for all 10 of us to stay. The only issue I had was the size of the shower 4 of us were using in the downstairs bathroom. I am not a large person, 5′7″ and my weight is average. I’m telling you, I felt like I had to perform ballet maneuvers to make any movements in the shower. Just reaching for the shampoo could cause me to bump the shower walls. If I were a larger person, that shower would have made me seriously consider looking for a lap-band doctor.

Sometimes I think builders of rental properties and hotels need to look to places like JourneyLiteSM for design plans. All of these places need to be designed with comfort in mind, comfort for everyone, no matter what shape or size. Wider hallways and bathrooms would be a great start. I had to haul my luggage up and down a flight of very skinny, steep stares and it was a bit scary. Our bedroom was very soothing, although, it was a tight squeeze to walk around the bed.

We really did enjoy our visit, even with the tiny shower!

Tags: JourneyLite, lap band doctor, weight loss

Federal Health Savings Accounts

August 7, 2008 on 11:01 am | In Family Health | No Comments

I was submitting our reimbursement information the other day for our Health Savings Account (HSA) and I began looking through the list of all the items that are eligible to be paid from pre-tax money.  There were a few that I didn’t know about, but the one that really caught my eye was sunscreen.  If you purchase sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, it is eligible to be claimed as an expense on an HSA.

We set up our HSA as a means of paying for our daughter’s orthodontic treatment with pre-tax money.  I’m also using it for co-payments to doctors and for some vision expenses.  Now I find out I could have used it for all the sunscreen I bought!  Too bad I no longer have the receipt, that’ll teach me!

Tags: Family Health, health savings accounts, sunscreen

Paying For Orthodontia Without a Payday Loan

August 2, 2008 on 6:44 pm | In Family Health, Finance | 2 Comments

We are now almost 4 months in to my daughter’s orthodontia treatment. She had her top braces put on in April and everything is moving along quite nicely. In fact, her teeth are cooperating so well, that she’ll be getting her bottom braces on in a little over a week, 4 months ahead of schedule.

Orthodontia is so expensive, I spent months planning how we were going to pay for it. Thankfully, we’re able to put money aside in a pre-tax health savings account and our dental insurance is covering a small portion of the cost. It does mean that I have to maintain very good records of the expenses, but at least I’m not having to take out a Payday Loan to cover the cost. It’s nice knowing that I’m not having to put this expense on credit. After all, we are trying to reduce our debt, not increase it. I never want to be someone that has to worry about getting loans for bad credit. I do my very best to keep our credit rating in excellent shape.

So, we’ll be back at the orthodontist in a few days for my daughter to have spacers put in her lower teeth. Then, the following week she’ll have the actual braces put in. I just can’t get over the progress we’ve all ready seen!

Tags: orthodontics, payday loans

I Received My Punctal Plugs From The Optometrist

August 1, 2008 on 2:50 pm | In Family Health | 2 Comments

I just returned from the optometrist’s office where I had punctal plugs inserted in each of my eyes.

Punctal plugs are used to treat moderate to severe dry eye, which, in my case, is severe.  These plugs are inserted into the tear duct, in my case, in my lower eyelid.   The goal is to block the drainage of natural tears and, hopefully, help retain moisture on the eye.

Personally, I’m hoping that by this time next week, I will no longer be constantly rubbing my eyes.  In the long run, perhaps I’ll be able to go back to wearing contact lenses!

Tags: dry eye, optometrist, punctal plugs

Can Resveratrol Help a Human Cancer Victim?

July 29, 2008 on 10:17 am | In Family Health | No Comments

I am so fortunate that at this point in my life, I have not had to battle anything as scary as cancer, of any kind. There are many other people though that are not so fortunate.

One man in particular, who has been given only 4 months to live, has agreed to test the theory that the drug Resveratrol can fight cancer. In fact, members of the forum at imminst.com have come together to provide this man with large quantities of Resveratrol so that he can attempt to “mega-dose”. The forum members are looking for anyone who might be interested in contributing to consider reading the full article at the resveratrol forum.

Tags: cancer, imminst.com, resveratrol

The Cost of Prescription Eyewear

July 11, 2008 on 8:47 am | In Family Health | No Comments

I’ve been posting a lot about eyewear lately and I have to tell you that from my own experience, prescription eyewear is very expensive, even with insurance. I’ve mentioned ZenniOptical.com a few times and have been looking into ordering glasses directly from them. I have a somewhat complicated prescription because I do wear bifocals, so I’m not sure this will work for me or not.

I was happy to see some news coverage on this very subject though and found it to be quite interesting. If you’re as interested in this as I am, take a look at Zenni on Fox news. It’s a “Deal or Dud” story with some very good information.

Tags: eye glasses, eyewear, Fox, prescription eyewear, zennioptical.com

Sunglasses - Still Waiting

July 10, 2008 on 12:22 am | In Family Health | No Comments

I’m still waiting on my prescription sunglasses. It’s driving me nuts because I ordered them on Monday morning of last week. I know I keep talking about it, but I’m getting worried that I won’t have them before I leave. You see, I’m driving this trip and having prescription sunglasses would really help keep my eyes from getting so tired.

I currently wear glasses that have transitions lenses in them, they get darker when I go outside. They’re okay, but they don’t get really dark and so I find myself squinting when I’m out in the sun. When I was wearing contact lenses, I had regular sunglasses that I wore when I was outside. Now that I’m no longer wearing my contacts, I need darker eyewear for outdoors. When I checked on them this past Monday, the prescription eyeglasses were being tinted. I was told that they’d probably be in on Wednesday, but that has now come and gone. I’m very disappointed.

In the mean time, I’m also still looking for new non tinted prescription eyewear. I’ve found a few frames I’m interested in at zennioptical.com and can save money because they manufacture the frames themselves and sell them direct, so there is no middle man. ZenniOptical.com is also able to work with different types of prescription lenses, including bifocals, which is what I wear. I’m really liking this rectangular shape, it would be something new for me.

Keeping my fingers crossed that I will get my new eyeglasses on Thursday.

Tags: eyeglasses, eyewear, prescription, prescription eyewear

Stylish New Shades

July 8, 2008 on 3:11 pm | In Family Health | No Comments

I’m getting very anxious. I ordered my new prescription sunglasses last week and am still waiting for them. I was told it would take 3-5 business days, it’s now been 7 business days. I’m hoping to have them finally, sometime tomorrow.

I was in the optometrist’s office yesterday to have the plugs placed into the eye ducts. While I was in the waiting area, I found a beautiful, stylish pair of frames that I would love to have as a replacement for the glasses I currently wear. I will have to wait a while as I used my insurance to pay for the prescription sunglasses and they only pay for one frame per year.

I am shopping online though too. With zennioptical.com I can get my progressive lenses and maybe even find a better deal. They certainly carry very stylish prescription eye wear. While they don’t sell the designer brands, they do carry their own manufactured eye wear in many styles to suit pretty much any taste. Because they make them, they can sell direct to the consumer and it costs the consumer less money. That’s good news to me!

In the mean time, I hope my sunglasses are here by the end of the week.  I’m leaving on Sunday for vacation!

Tags: eyewear, fashion, glasses, optical, style, zennioptical.com

Eye Plug Update

July 3, 2008 on 6:39 am | In Family Health | 2 Comments

The optometrist’s office called me yesterday.  My medical insurance will pay 100% of the procedure after my $40 co-pay!  YAY!

I have scheduled to have the temporary plugs put in on Monday.  The temporary plugs last about 5 days and then dissolve.  The doctor does these first so that we know if the plugs will help or not.  If I feel that my eyes are retaining moisture and are not so dry with the plugs in, then she will put in permanent plugs.

I am both anxious, I don’t like having medical procedures done, and excited, I am hoping my eyes will no longer be in a state of constant itchiness.

Tags: eye plug, optometrist