Over the Counter Medications

It has been common practice for many individuals to include the over-the-counter medications they purchased on their personal insurance claim form. From over the counter cold medications, to over the counter allergy medications, the individual will go through the time and trouble to list each medication, add the most recent receipt, and expect reimbursement from the health insurance provider for the medical prescription program they are enrolled.

The Internal Revenue Service has now put a stop to this practice, even though most of the insurance providers have a list of the over the counter medications they accept for reimbursement. This is certainly upsetting many of the employees who are enrolled in a health savings program because this practice has been part of the main stay for many years.

Now, all the rules for affordable health insurance have changed and if an individual is intending to continue to deduct their over, the counter medication it will have to come with a written prescription from a medical health physician or the insurance claim will be denied. You have to wonder why anyone would be putting in an insurance claim for over the counter medications. Besides, if you need a medical health care physician’s prescription, why would you be purchasing over the counter medication?

Most of the over the counter medication is relatively inexpensive, but there are other items that are expensive. Until this point it has been to the individual’s discretion of whether to submit an insurance claim for the over the counter medication.

Now, with these new  united health care mandates filtering down from the government you are better off paying for the over the counter medication on your own. This is what most individuals do when they are purchasing items at their local drug store.

Will the individual still have the option to purchase the same over the counter medication and pay out of pocket without ever submitting an insurance claim?  In most cases, the answer is yes.

The problems occur when the individual then fills out a low cost health insurance form for the reimbursement of the over-the-counter medication. When you choose to fill out a health insurance claim for the over the counter medication what will you need to legitimize the purchase?

1.    A pharmacy receipt with name of pharmacy, date, address, prescription, along with your information

2.    An authorized prescription from a medical health physician

This new addition to the health reform is certainly going to cause much confusion until individuals and pharmacies learn all the new rules and can incorporate this into a working system.