I hate open enrollment.

[katespade]

I got buried in medical bills this year, so I know that I need to pick a different option for my health plan for next year. My issues:

I don't do well with change!
I have no idea how much money to put where!
What if I don't put enough in my FSA!?
What if I put too much in it!?
It doesn't roll over!?
WHY DOESN'T IT ROLL OVER!?

H is not at all helpful with these kinds of decisions, and I can't handle getting buried in bills again next year.

/Vent.

[estrellita]

Ugh I know how you feel! I want to max out the dependent care FSA but it sounds like a huge pain. It comes out of each paycheck, then I pay daycare, then I ask for a refund which will be partial because you only get back what you pay. Which is fine, because part will be matched. But still. Huge pain. Then I don't know what to do about the health care one. It will be easier to spend it at stores, but I don't want to put too much in. I don't want to adult and make decisions!

[bk1]

We put extra in our flex account last year thinking we would get glasses. That money didn't last that long. I get you.


I'm so sorry about the medical bills. It's so hard when you don't feel good and it takes so many visits/specialists to figure out what to do and then get stuck with such high bills. Huge hugs katespade

[MrsMB]

((katespade))

[katiek]

Ugh, I'm sorry, that sounds miserable. What a confusing system!

[melsamoony]

estrellita my dependent care account has been super easy to get my money out of. It seriously takes me maybe 5 minutes to file a claim which I only have to do every few months. Then I get my money the wednesday before I get paid (we get paid Fridays every other week so every other Wednesday I get my FSA direct deposited to my bank account). I was afraid it would be difficult but it really hasn't been at all.

katespade FSA for Healthcare is a little tough to judge. Do you have prescription meds? You usually can get reimbursed for the copayments on those with your FSA. Do you have any other health care costs you can anticipate? It is so hard to determine how much to put in!

[katespade]

melsamoony - I have a couple of chronic illnesses and I see four different specialists, so I have a lot of healthcare costs. I had a high deductible plan this year, and I had met my deductible by May. I'm just so used to the HSA, which rolls over if I put too much money into it, so I'm struggling to figure out how to convert the amount I've paid OOP to what I would end up paying OOP with the lower deductible plan.

I guess, worst case scenario, I can load up on contacts at the end of the year if I end up with extra money left in my FSA account.

[amaranth]

I hate FSAs. I'm sorry you don't have an HSA option. That really is so much easier. I'm trying to figure out insurance too because eof H's new job and while I am SO thankful to have options, choosing without the ability to predict the future is hard.

[awick14]

((Hugs)) I can't imagine having to navigate this process.

You could always come live by me. I have no idea how that would work but maybe it wouldn't be so hard?

[estrellita]

katespade there are a lot of things you can buy with FSA funds. I think contact solution, some OTC meds, and some other medical related things count. I'd have to look through the list though. I'm not sure how yours works but this coming year our card can be used at stores and it automatically takes qualified things off (right now it's just for prescriptions but I went through the funds so fast at the beginning of the year I didn't even activate the card lol).