Balanced Body Health

It’s New year!!! As always, I’m excited to help you reach your health goals this year. Here’s a special tip for those that use HSA/FSA funds:

Massage therapy can be a qualified medical expense, as long as a physician recommends it with a written prescription. The IRS rules states that medical care expenses must be primarily to ease or prevent a physical or mental ailment. Examples of illnesses that qualify include frozen shoulder, piriformis syndrome (commonly referred to as sciatica) stress, back and neck pain, arthritis, diabetes, fibromyalgia, anxiety, depression and pain management.

What you need first

All you need to do to first set up massage as a qualifying expense by paying your primary doctor a visit and tell them you have an FSA or HSA and you'd like to use some of your funds toward massage for treatment or prevention of your ailment or medical complaint.

Your physician will need to provide the following information on a prescription form (to show IRS if needed) :

1. The medical necessity: why you need massage therapy (example: to relieve back pain)
2. The frequency they recommend: number of sessions per month (example: minimum of two sessions per month)
3. The duration: length of treatment (example: 12 months)

Once you've obtained the prescription, file it away in case you are ever asked to back up the expense. It's not necessary to bring the prescription to appointment, but you should bring your FlexCard or HSA Debit card (if you have one) to pay for your next visit. If you don't have a FlexCard, simply pay for your massages and turn in your receipts for reimbursement. Note that you can't include tips.

Interesting article!! We don’t think much about inflammation and what it does to our health. Some great tips and solutions. Enjoy!!

This Silent Killer Is Making You Fat And Sick. How To Know If You're At Risk And What To Do About It. For years you have been hearing about the importance of maintaining a healthy diet to maintain better health and optimal weight. Study after study links poor diets that are highly refined and loaded with sugar, preservatives and saturated fats to nearly EVERY chronic disease.