| Health Savings Accounts allow you to set up a | | | | But there are other ways to look at things. |
| tax-deductible account to pay for medical | | | | Naturopathic medicine is based on the belief |
| expenses that are not covered by your health | | | | in the body's own healing powers, which can |
| insurance.�These include expenses to | | | | be strengthened through the use of certain |
| cover your deductible, and other medical | | | | foods, vitamins, herbs, or other "natural" |
| expenses like dental and eyeglasses.�But | | | | treatments.�Traditional Chinese Medicine |
| many don't realize that HSA funds can be used | | | | (TCM) is based on ancient Chinese theories |
| to pay for virtually any type of medical | | | | about the balance of yin and |
| service, as long as it pertains to the | | | | yang.�Ayurvedic medicine is based on |
| treatment or prevention of a specific health | | | | principles of movement, metabolism, and |
| condition. | | | | structure. |
| | | | |
| Because money withdrawn from a health savings | | | | Part of the growing use of complementary |
| account to pay medical expenses is tax-free, | | | | therapies is a reaction to the costs, side |
| anyone who has an HSA can funnel all | | | | effects, and philosophy of conventional |
| alternative medical expenses through their | | | | allopathic medicine.�Physicians get much |
| HSA and get a tax write-off.�This could | | | | of their continuing education from the |
| include biofeedback, naturopathy, Ayurvedic | | | | pharmaceutical industry, and they work in an |
| medicine, aromatherapy, magnetic healing, | | | | environment where the insurers and the |
| reflexology, and the list goes on. | | | | patients are both looking for a quick |
| | | | fix.�The result is that the average 60 |
| People who use complementary therapies are | | | | year old is now taking 5 regular medications, |
| often very health conscious, and go to | | | | yet there is little expectation that those |
| traditional physicians less often.�So it | | | | drugs will ever cure the health problems for |
| does not make sense for them to be paying a | | | | which they're being used.�Many consumers |
| high premium for a traditional health | | | | see this, and instead are using other methods |
| insurance plan with a co-pay, particularly | | | | to try to get to the root of their illness. |
| when their medical treatments are not covered | | | | |
| anyway.�Instead, many are choosing a low | | | | What is Considered a "Qualified Expense" |
| cost high-deductible HSA plan. | | | | |
| | | | Qualified medical expenses have been |
| Alternative Therapies Becoming Mainstream | | | | partially defined in IRS Publication 502, and |
| | | | through various federal court |
| Many hospitals are now offering complementary | | | | rulings.�There is no definitive list, |
| treatments.�The website for the Memorial | | | | but there are really very few restrictions as |
| Sloan-Keating Cancer Center states that | | | | long as the procedure is for the treatment or |
| complementary therapies are used to "help | | | | prevention of a specific health |
| alleviate stress, reduce pain and anxiety, | | | | condition.�For instance, you could not |
| manage symptoms, and promote a feeling of | | | | use your HSA funds to pay for a relaxing |
| well-being." | | | | massage for your own personal |
| | | | pleasure.�But if your doctor recommends |
| Some group health insurance plans are | | | | you get a massage for specific medical |
| beginning to cover more complementary | | | | reasons, this is considered a qualified |
| expenses, but there is still very little | | | | expense.�Yoga would not normally be |
| coverage for these expenses in individual or | | | | considered a qualified medical expense, but |
| family plans.�Those that cover | | | | it would be if it was recommended as a |
| chiropractic limit coverage to 12 - 20 visits | | | | physical therapy following some sort of |
| per year, and a few will cover a limited | | | | accident. |
| amount of acupuncture.�But very few if | | | | |
| any cover hypnotherapy, Reiki, iridology, or | | | | Some may question why the government would |
| faith healers. | | | | give a tax deduction for someone to use some |
| | | | crazy energy vibration machine to cure their |
| Why Complementary Medicine | | | | cancer.�But this is as it should |
| | | | be.�No one but you should be able to |
| The conventional medicine practiced by most | | | | decide what type of treatment you will use |
| MDs is called allopathic medicine.�The | | | | for your own illnesses.�By empowering |
| philosophy of this system is to treat disease | | | | individuals to manage their health as they |
| and injury using counteractive | | | | see fit, HSAs encourage personal |
| methods.�For instance, if you have a | | | | responsibility and help loosen the monopoly |
| fever you may take aspirin to make it go | | | | on healthcare that conventional medicine has |
| down, if your cholesterol is elevated you may | | | | had for the past few decades. |
| take a statin to reduce it, if you have | | | | |
| heartburn you may take an antacid.�The | | | | By Wiley Long - President, HSA for America ( |
| thinking is mostly focused on removing the | | | | - The nation's leading independent health |
| symptoms of disease, and the primary | | | | insurance firm specializing in individual and |
| treatment modalities are surgery and | | | | family coverage that works with a Health |
| prescription drugs. | | | | Savings Account. |
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