Rule-bending

[jducoeur]

It's always slightly amusing to see the explicit lists of exceptions that get written into legal documents. You know that each one has a name attached to it -- someone tried some particular hack, and it got written into the next version of the rules.

I happened to be glancing through the "flexible medical spending" plan for my company (which just got updated), and was reminded of this principle. Okay, I can see someone in good faith trying to use the tax-deductible plan for buying vitamins -- those are reasonably related to medicine. And I have enough friends who are (or are becoming) massage therapists to be slightly annoyed that that's explicitly beyond the pale (despite the fact that chiropractics are allowed).

But tattoos? Tanning salons? Music lessons? Sheesh. It's a little perturbing to be reminded of how much people try to get away with...

Comments

of course, I imagine the primary problem with the massage thing

[dmnsqrl.livejournal.com]

is how many people have tried to slip in something else as 'massage therapy'

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

Reminds me of my days doing RFP responses for NCD. Reams of requirements to sell to the govt, all put there by well-intentioned people, creating a morass overall. Yuck.

Although yours is due to ill-intentioned, I suppose.

...now, is that tatoos in general, or "butt tattoos?" Maybe I don't want to know.

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

I dunno - gym memberships are specifically disallowed (as I recall), but I can't imagine how that isn't overall a good thing for reducing medical expenses.

I checked, though, and even with a written doctors note, I can't get reimbursement through my FSA for my gym membership.

[mindways]

Depends on the health plan - the one I'm in will outright reimburse $N per year of gym membership expenses. $N only ends up being 15-20% of the cost of a yearly membership, of course, but it's better than nothing.

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

True, but that's not an FSA, is it? And the balance can't be funded via the FSA.

In my case (not that my personal details matter) it is all moot - my gym membership is paid in advance through 2007, and will only be $50 a year once I have to start paying again. I just thought it was an amusing example of how a putatively appropriate medical expense (or expense that will probably reduce medical expenses) is disallowed.

[jducoeur]

Yeah -- I was also slightly surprised and disappointed that gym membership was out. That's rather short-sighted...

Aiming for a No Prize

[umbran.livejournal.com]

Music lessons - light activity is a usual recommendation for those who suffer arthritis. So, someone might try to claim piano or guitar lessons as a treatment for arthritis in the hands...