Bokeh
Est. Contributor
- Messages
- 210
bambinod said:You can probably get a note from a psychiatrist but your insurance company may not accept it as a justification for reimbursing you for expenses. You need to read over your insurance policy and see what's covered. They have NO legal requirement to provide any coverage for anything - the level of coverage you get is exclusively determined by your policy with them.
As an example, some insurance companies cover the cost of contraceptives, in part or in whole. Others cover (or partially cover) things like vasectomies. "Mental health" coverage isn't very consistent though from one policy to the next. They may cover the cost of a visit to the psychiatrist but not provide any coverage for "comfort items", even if your shrink deems them necessary to your mental health. Also, diapers may be covered if you have a doctor's note, but not if all you have is a note from your shrink. You have to have a covered item and a covered reason.
Read your policy. If still in doubt, give them a call and ask for clarification.
Again, you keep speaking about reimbursements and coverages and that's completely different than what an FSA is and what it can be used for. My insurance company does not cover diapers with or without a Dr's note, prescription or otherwise and I am not reimbursed for the cost of my diapers.
You also mentioned contraceptives and yes, while some insurance companies do not cover the cost of contraceptives such as condoms, birth control pills and even a vasectomy (I work for a Catholic non-profit and they do not cover these things) you can (and I have) paid for each these using my FSA. You are still paying for these things out of pocket, you're just not being taxed on them.
I keep harping on this because I have confirmed it several times with my insurance provider that adult diapers are no different than bandaids when it comes to being an FSA approved product. If they required you to prove that you had a medical need then that's one thing but they don't so I'm not defrauding anyone. It would be completely different if they did require a Dr's note to use your FSA to purchase them and I went to my Dr and lied about it in order to obtain a note. That's fraud but that is not the case here and I have no problem using my FSA to purchase FSA approved products through FSA approved vendors.
If I am ever audited and the auditor asks me if I have a medical need for diapers, I will happily tell them that I do not and I purchased them because they were on the list of approved FSA items. If they tell me that they in fact are not, I will be happy to pay back all the taxes on the diapers I've purchased over the years (without any issues) with my FSA.