Trips To The Doctor Go Miles Toward Reimbursement
Did you know that you can file for mileage getting to and from medical appointments? The medical mileage rate for 2012 is 23 cents a mile, according to the Internal Revenue Service. For example, say you went to the doctor 4x last year and the office is 20 miles from your home. That means you have four round-trips of 40 miles each, or a total of $37.60 in reimbursable charges.
You can also submit parking fees, which at some medical providers can cost more than the medical co-pay. Other reimbursable expenses include tolls, out-of-town care lodging, weight-loss and smoking program membership fees. The IRS allows flexible spending account participants to claim these common but little-known expenses.
“A lot of people don’t know it, but it can add up pretty quickly,” said Jesse Gelsomini, an employment lawyer who specializes in employee benefits at Haynes and Boone in Houston. “You can put some real change back in your pocket.”
Hundreds of dollars in reimbursable medical expenses are waiting for you, without having to go through a single book or paw through the junk drawer. It just takes an hour or two with a pencil, paper and calculator to yield reimbursable expenses you never knew you had. Start the year off smart!
