Fish n Chips 56

Thanks Beach, thats a good thing...

And I so much wanted to add a comment, hahahaa

Giantaxe

I had the same reaction but a different conclusion... isn't it sad that some wives feel they can't make their own decisions, but have to follow their husbands' wishes?

Cookie

Just out of curiosity I would like to ask if any US healthcare expenses eg insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses for meds, dental, etc are tax deductible or awarded tax credits.

Here in Canada our doctors and hospital treatments are free (there is no such thing as 'private' treatment). We do pay for meds and dental. Our family medical insurance costs $75 bi-weekly to cover a family of 4 up to 80%. On co-pay a dental filling costs me around $20 and antibiotics cost around $4. Removal of son's wisdom teeth cost $1700 with insurance picking up $1000 (yearly maximum). I have theraputic massages which cost $65 but I only pay $15 because insurance picks up $50 (up to $500 a year).

In Nova Scotia, we also have pharmacare for low income families, and special assistance for cancer patients, diabetics and people with disabilities. For seniors the co-payment is 30% per prescription to an annual maximum of $382. The annual maximum premium is $424.

Do people in the USA get any credits/refunds for medical expenses at tax time and is there any provision for seniors?

Mummy in the foothills

To claim on your taxes you have to keep and add up all your monthly premium payments and your share of the bills, and even add up mileage I was told. It has to all add up to a certain % of the annual income to get anything back. Ours doesn't. One year we did get to deduct it, we put out over $20,000 in our share and premiums and deducibles and got a small amount back when we did the taxes, we were so poor that year it was half our income after taxes and we still had to pay the usual bills.
Since then Dh has a job with better insurance and we have dental and optical at this job too, never had that before.

Fish n Chips 56

So True... its 2011 not 1965...
I suppose we have to give Rosies Mum a break, shes old school and 93...

Beedubya

You know that's one thing I never even think about, guns.

I hate the bloody things and still get a bit nervy to see cops carrying them here in Australia.

I would HATE to live in a country where guns are around you who knows where, in somebody's bag or car or pocket.........shudder!!!

Fish n Chips 56

Wow Cookie, Good Info, I'm ready to move over the border, thought about it many times.

Of course its a well known fact at least to us that we used to have organized bus trips to Canada for drugs, I'm 100% serious, not sure if that still happens as Canada now ships drugs here to some people, we also had bus trips to Mexico for those living in the South, Old folks would load up buying a three month supply... have you guys heard about this?

Of course there have been lots of rumors that your drugs are substandard and some people believe it, I've never heard of Canadians dropping like flies to bad drugs hahahaa I knew it was just another FEAR story to keep Americans under the thumb...

As Mummy said there are Tax breaks on premiums but it all depends on income and household, everyone is different...

Seniors do get basic medicare but still it costs money and many buy additional medical coverage, many old folks are poor and cant afford these drugs, its just a mess, we all seem to be under different circumstances so nobody bands together for the common good.

Even though I have Insurance we pay $30 co-pay per 5 minute visit, the Dr bills the Insurance for the rest, they cap and control what he can charge them, they get a bulk discount so to speak, without Insurance my cost for a 5 minute visit would be $150, that's why poor people cant afford to go.

We pay $750 a month for a couple, no kids, that's for 70% coverage, we used to have 80% but the prices went up so much we cant afford that anymore... this doesn't include dentist but does include one eye test per year, we also have deductibles we have to reach before they kick in on some things.

I can get Generic drugs if available for a $10 co-pay, for name brands I get a 50% discount, Last year I paid $300 for 6 grams of cream, 6 grams is very small, still I was grateful as it helped with my skin cancer.

There are no limits as to what you will be charged for Drugs per year...

If you have no private doctors who do the wealthy people see??? Just curious...

Right now Blue Cross of California are trying to raise the Medical insurance rates by 65%, how can anyone justify that, but of course the boss gets paid $10 Million a year so what do you expect.

Fish n Chips 56

There is a gun for every man, woman and child, so we have 300 Million of them.

Beedubya

dunroving

Yes, I used TurboTax software every year and I don't think I ever came close to the minimum for offsetting health care costs against taxes (I even would put in silly amounts, just to see if it would go over the limit). I can't understand the US tax system sometimes - why not just say ALL health care costs are offset?

Mind you, I got smart eventually. I used to pay into one of those pre-pay schemes that you pay into pre-tax and can then use to pay for healthcare. If you don't need any health care, you end p losing it - but you can use it for glasses, dental work, etc, so if you are smart, you strategise and if you have any left in there at the end of the tax year, then you get your teeth whitened, or a new pair of prescription sunglasses.

I can't remember what it was called now ... I know, a FLEX spending account: http://www.ehow.com/how_2121943_use-...g-account.html

sallysimmons

Agree with the others - to offset your out-of-pocket expenses they have to be a very high portion of your total income, so for most people that doesn't apply.

Where I live you never see guns so I find it bizarre that in some places people are allowed to walk around openly carrying them. I will never understand Americans' obsession with guns - it doesn't seem to be something you can reason with most people about. They just say '2nd amendment rights' and that's that but I doubt that the founding fathers intended for insane kids to be able to buy automatic weapons at Wal-Mart.

dunroving

No, they just wanted an armed civil militia at the ready in case the redcoats invaded. (seriously).

I don't think the UK has had any intention to send over the recoats for quite some time now.

Fish n Chips 56

I thought the redcoats worked for Butlins... Hahahaaaaa

Mummy in the foothills

They changed the rules on those flex spending accounts this year, you can no longer buy anything without a prescription to use it, so many people will find themselves losing what is in the account. Used to be you could buy your allergy meds and bandages, and Advil etc etc. So many meds are now not prescription it's not going to be worth having one unless you have something serious wrong with you. Or put a whole lot less in it.

dunroving

Yes, who needs guns, they could kill Americans at 40 paces with their corny British holiday camp humour.