Over the Counter Changes: Bad News for Patients

The new health law’s restrictions on the use of tax-favored accounts to purchase over-the-counter (OTC) medications will begin on January 1, 2011. Patients with Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs), and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) who purchase OTC medicines with their account debit cards will find denial confusion, and disappointment at the pharmacy checkout counter.

Those with FSAs or HRAs, who expect reimbursements from their accounts, will see their claims have been rejected. Those with HSAs may experience an IRS audit and a 20% excise tax penalty for an ineligible withdrawal. To make matters worse, the amount of money that can be set aside in FSAs for medical care will be limited to $2,500 in 2013.

Under the new law, OTC drugs, medicines, and biologicals will need a doctor’s prescription to be considered a qualified medical expense. This requirement holds, even if the item is otherwise available without a prescription!

It is all very confusing.  Depending upon the plan’s interpretation of the new law, the following are examples that may require a doctor’s prescription in order to be an IRS eligible qualified medical expense:

Acid controllers                                           Digestive aids

Allergy and sinus                                         Feminine anti-fungal and anti-itch

Antibiotic products                                      Hemorrhoid preps

Anti-diarrheal                                              Laxatives

Anti-gas                                                      Motion sickness pills

Anti-itch and insect bite                               Pain relief

Anti-parasitic treatments                              Respiratory treatments

Baby rash ointments and creams                  Sleep aids and sedatives

Cold sore remedies                                     Stomach remedies

Items such as bandages, home health-aids and other OTC items may still be eligible qualified medical expenses. The following are examples of some of the items that may remain available without a physician’s prescription:

Artificial teeth                                              Elastic bandages and wraps

Band-Aids®                                                                First aid supplies

Birth control                                                Hearing aids and batteries

Braces and supports                                    Insulin and diabetic supplies

Braille books and magazines                        Ostomy products

Catheters                                                    Oxygen and oxygen-equipment

Contact lens supplies and solutions               Pregnancy test kits

Denture adhesives                                       Reading glasses

Diagnostic tests and monitors                       Wheelchairs, walkers and canes

The intended restrictions and unintended consequences of ObamaCare OTC changes are staggering. I previously reported on some of them. Here is a more complete list:

  1. Plan members, pharmacists, and the doctors will be confused by the new restrictive rules requiring a “prescription for non-prescription OTC medications.”
  2. Pharmacists and checkout clerks will not be able to over-ride the debit card processing system.  
  3. Previously covered claims submitted for FSA and HRA reimbursements will be denied.
  4. IRS audits and unexpected HSA excise tax penalties will shock taxpayers.
  5. Plan members may need to go to the doctor’s office to get a prescription for the OTC medication.  
  6. With new exposure to liability, doctors may need to see the patient before prescribing anything. 
  7. Additional office visits and follow up visits may be generated.  
  8. To avoid calls, confusion, and assure insurance coverage physicians may begin prescribing stronger drugs. 
  9. Drug card vendors will be changing their cards to deny coverage for OTC medications.

ObamaCare OTC is a simple example of government control that will confuse and inconvenience millions of Americans. Purchasing pain relief medicines at your neighborhood pharmacy shouldn’t that complicated. It’s about to become a nightmare.

Comments (7)

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  1. Ken says:

    This really doesn’t make much sense. If you want to lower health care casts, you should encourage over the counter drugs.

  2. Bruce says:

    Ken, who said the goal is to lower costs?

  3. Vicki says:

    I agree with Bruce. They’re not trying to lower costs.

  4. Devon Herrick says:

    Doctors often hear from patients who want to discontinue a drug once it goes OTC and have it replaced by a prescription for a new drug that their drug plan will pay for. Making OTC medications taxable will only increase the incentive to use more costly prescription drugs.

  5. Linda Gorman says:

    Medicaid, soon to be the nation’s largest coverage program thanks to ObamaCare, covers a lot of OTC products.

  6. Rachel says:

    I def agree with Bruce, it’s in their best interest not to lower the costs. http://www.drnataliegaik.com/

  7. Olga says:

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    A large issue that can trigger psychological impotence is either related to a past issue or it’s temporary.
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    effecting you physically.

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    Also you’ll need to become wary of exactly how much you’re drinking.
    A guy can shed his capability to become aroused while consuming alcohol.
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    If depressive disorders is the cause you’re suffering, it is best to solve that issue before you are able to have a real physical relationship. Basically psychological impotence stems from a problem with your mental outlook.

    You will not preform well at all if you’re depressed. Also, you need
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    Sadly numerous males will endure diabetes impotence prior to they do some thing about their blood sugar level. The diabetic includes a poison in their bloodstream known as glucose.

    Diabetic issues impotence is when the poison is cutting of life towards the male organ. The bloodstream is coming polluted and it is affecting the flow.

    Males may shed the capability to preserve intimacy. They might be able to start but then will not have the ability to finish. Studies show the body without typical blood sugar amounts is aging faster than one with a normal sugar range.

    Male impotence refers towards the condition referred to also as Erectile Dysfunction, where for 1 cause or another, blood isn’t flowing to the penis correctly, so that
    an erection could be achieved.

    Causes for the illness range from 8 out of 12 from the top
    prescribed medicines of our day to the result of
    psychological disorder and physical deformity.

    Countless medicines list impotence being a side impact from the treatment, and numerous
    nerve damaging problems can cause ED. Depression, anxiety, and tobacco use are all stated leads to for
    impotence also.

    Male impotence has numerous different leads to for the hydraulic issue that leads to the penis to
    not function properly.

    Smokers are 85% more at risk to be in this group. One of the most shocking statistic however, is that only a mere 10% of those afflicted with Erectile dysfunction or a similar issue seek treatment and assist.

    Impotence is really a severe condition that impacts 25% of our population sixty five many years of age and older. 5% of middle aged men and older these
    days are afflicted by ED as well.

    After reading a few facts on the subject 1 hopes it is sufficient to consult your doctor or begin to make modifications to stifle
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    If it’s just a couple of times then it should not be worried upon but if it is frequent or sufficient to bring you worry and tension then you need to appear into just what is causing it.

    Impotence or Erectile Dysfunction happens to most men occasionally and for a variety of reasons.

    It’s interesting to note that most males and even doctors (is it simply because they are male?
    ) believe that most impotence leads to stem from
    the psychological aspects or lifestyle aspects of a man’s life.

    But it can also be interesting to note that 60% from the men that do go to their physician with impotence difficulties end up becoming diagnosed with diabetic issues.

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    physician to get the actual reasons out from the way.

    It is also interesting to note that 80% of males with impotence problems have a actual cause for having them.

    Not doing any exercising and becoming a couch potato.

    That is a lot of leads to to go through, but for those who have or are doing any of them then the very first thing you can do is stop performing them or go to your physician for help.

    Nevertheless, consuming alcohol or utilizing any other intoxicants or adulterants can make it hard for that human body to achieve an hard-on.

    Alcohol and recreational drugs are recognized to be some of the most infamous libido enhancers for years and many years.

    Getting a glass of wine or two throughout social events may not be such a poor idea, but the rate to which the alcohol affects your libido negatively or positively really depends on your physique kind and size and weight.

    For example, should you weigh 165 pounds or so you could consume up to about a half of the bottle of wine before seeing a decrease in your erectile functioning,

    Getting a glass of wine or two throughout social events may not be such a poor concept, however the rate to which the alcohol affects your libido negatively or positively truly is dependent upon your physique type and size and weight.

    Anything that affects a man’s testosterone in any way could possibly negatively have an effect on that man’s sexual intercourse generate inside a negative way. Whilst drugs and alcohol could cause sexual interaction in numerous circumstances.

    No matter what you select to drink or what you plan to accomplish after consuming takes location, good decisions about drinking and drug usage are of utmost importance when considering your impotence.

    Consider making existence modifications immediately should you ever hope to see total improvement without having the use of medication.

    Nitric oxide and Impotence go hand in hand, simply because no guy can ever get an erection without having it however the good news is you don’t have to take man made medicines to boost levels, you can increase nitric oxide normally and safely.

    These herbal remedies will not just boost amounts of nitric oxide, they will also increase amounts of the crucial male sex hormone testosterone, improve blood flow all close to the body, maintain sperm healthy and decrease stress and anxiety which can frequently trigger impotence.

    You will discover all the above herbs within the greatest men’s sex supplements and they will also contain L Arginine; this isn’t a herb but a organic amino acid which assists the body produce nitric oxide and should you increase amounts by taking it being a supplement.

    It’s been known as natures Viagra and with good cause – it helps you get a tougher hard-on and boosts sexual desire and is a supplement all men ought to consider, for much better sexual health.

    You are able to get all of the above libido enhancers and more, in the best organic hard erection supplements that will help you cure impotence safely and normally and they may also boost your overall degree of wellness in the same time.

    1000s of men suffer with impotency, frequently turning to potentially risky drugs. That�s why the Blakoe Ring is revolutionary. It�s proven to be the safest and most effective solution to these problems.

    This increases blood flow to the sexual organs, helping the body to regain its natural capabilities. It also improves problems for example: low sexual intercourse generate, reduced sperm count, underdeveloped genitals, and premature ejaculation.

    Male impotence remedies are an extremely popular subject right now simply because many males are treating their erectile dysfunction normally.

    Simply because male impotence is caused by a lack of blood circulation under the belt, these remedies might help you by tomorrow.

    Start your physical exercise program these days! Keep in mind the rush after a good work out? It’s proven that exercising has thousands of benefits such as: boosting circulation, flushing cholesterol, decreasing tension and growing endorphins happy chemicals. Start at 30 minutes a day and work as much as an hour.

    Practice breathing techniques like only breathing through your nose for 5 minutes. You are able to do this at your work desk and you’ll be decreasing stress and boosting flow levels.

    Start your exercise program today! Remember the rush after a good work out? It’s proven that exercising has 1000s of advantages including: boosting circulation, flushing cholesterol, decreasing stress and growing endorphins happy chemicals.

    You are one from the couple of but you will find 1000s of males who are afflicted by young male impotence. Do not be discouraged because you will find numerous ways to increase flow downstairs and improve your libido.

    Erectile dysfunctions are usually a physical problem like poor flow. You will find a variety of causes for ED but most people suffer from this typical disease simply because of bad flow.

    Lower flow amounts could be caused by too a lot tension, a bad eating habits, bad way of life choices or even a lack of vitamins or nutrients.

    Vitamin therapy can also be popular with this remedy for erectile dysfunctions. Investigation is showing a powerful correlation that most males who are afflicted by this illness are deficient in vitamin A.

    You will find many things you should know about your diet but the greatest rule of thumb is to keep your eating habits simple and fresh. Attempt to avoid fattening foods which are fried.

    Avoid certain things like alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine. All of these listed items are medicines which alter the physique in same shape or form. Investigation does display that avoiding these can assist improve circulation downstairs.

    You will find also plenty of herbal remedies which have been shown to possess a positive impact. For instance, horny goat weed is a common and effective herb that is shown to become a testosterone booster, aphrodisiac and also tension reducer.

    Deep breathes Did you know that simply trying deep breath exercises daily can help increase circulation levels and reverse impotence? Start with large exhales and inhales for five minutes and do this three times daily.

    All men over the age of 30 encounter impotence as least as soon as within their lifetime. Estimating the numbers is hard because less than 2 men in 10 seek remedy for impotence problems. The conclusion is impotence is really a really common issue in men.

    The big problem is it seems that for a big quantity of men, their capability to obtain an erection and have sexual intercourse is viewed as an integral component of their masculinity and potency and could be debilitating to his mental wellness.

    Very first reaction of a man dealing with impotence is to make excuses or avoid sexual circumstances with his partner in an effort to overlook about the condition. This tendency can often leave the partner feeling unloved, unattractive and unwanted.

    Encountering this issue, males must think very first that this is a very typical male issue. He is neither alone nor unusual. There are over hundred million partners of impotent men.

    consequence, the man’s failure to communicate his problem may contribute to frustration, stress or depression in his partner, or even cause relation failure.

    Couples who can talk openly about this problem have a great benefit. Sharing fears and worries is really a first step toward feeling better.

    Woman’s emotions regarding the impotence of her partner could be complex as nicely. But she must not forget that the male partner is heading via similar powerful emotions.

    Woman’s help and understanding of situation is really essential. In a spirit of friendly cooperation, she must offer her support in solving partner’s problem heading together to determine a doctor.

    Male impotence is a condition whereby a guy isn’t capable of sexually pleasing the woman in his existence. This might be simply because of the weak erection more popularly recognized as erectile dysfunction.

    Whenever you think about it for a whilst you slowly realise that a big portion of the male population prides itself for becoming effectively harmful in bed. And whilst some of those allegations may be true a big lot of them are false.

    These substances greatly reduce the circulation of blood around the physique because from the deposition of fats in major arteries.

    The moment blood pressure decreases the veins in the penis are starved of the rapid flow they have to erect a penis that’s stiff enough for successful sexual penetration.

    Substance abuse has been cited as a cause of erectile dysfunction. Alcohol; cigarettes; and difficult drugs like cocaine should be gotten rid of correct way.

    Not so lengthy ago it was discovered that impotence and diabetic issues go hand in hand. This means decreasing ones intake of foods with a lot of sugar is one way of fighting impotence.

    When you have diabetic issues and continue to abuse sugar your diabetic issues will worsen and so will impotence have an effect on you more adversely. If you do not know if you have diabetes it would be a great tie to know so that you simply head straight into insulin remedy.

    The following time you’ve sexual intercourse be sure to become calm and confident. Sometimes sex related problems are attributed to anxiety and nervousness. Perhaps you’re too embarrassed about showing a certain part of your body you think she will laugh at.

    Overlook about everything and try to have fun. A carefree attitude is essential when it comes to sexual intercourse.

    Viagra is a pharmaceutical drug that’s utilized by lots of males to trigger and preserve a stiff hard-on. For some males this works really nicely but there are individuals who don’t have that much success with it.

    But occasionally the issue of obtaining a difficult hard-on stems from getting too a lot intercourse inside a short period of time. To have the ability to get a quick and difficult hard-on you ought to have the space of about three days until you’ve sex again.

    Impotence is happen when a guy can not achieve or maintain an hard-on inside sufficient time to please himself and obviously, his partner. Impotence is frequently only though of affecting older males, however it is quite typical location in youthful men too.

    Impotence in young men can be really stressful and it can also become a downward spiral due to the fact that one poor experience can cause a large amount of self doubt and anxiety.

    Impotence in youthful men can trigger further problems with low self esteem and other life problems in themselves as well as their relationships. But, perhaps simply because impotence is not some thing which is openly discussed.

    Most males will develop impotence at some point within their life. But within the majority of cases it’s a one off occurrence, not a long term 1. When impotence occurs over the lengthy term it is deemed a problem and this really is when professional advice and testing is needed.

    The choices for Impotence Remedy in young men are usually not to take strong prescription medicines. An alternative is herbal remedy as these are gentler and don’t trigger side effects.

    A youthful male can also be highly unlikely to want to take Viagra as they think about being an older mans impotence drug.

    The next choice is to possess a healthy way of life. Prevent higher consumption of alcohol and medicines. Physical exercise regularly to make your blood circulation smooth. Consider a healthy and balance eating habits.

    Impotence in youthful males usually disappears as they gain encounter and confidence in sexual situations and is really rarely caused by a serious physical issue. At the same, practicing a healthy way of life is much better option then to remedy the impotence later.

    Exercise has literally hundreds of benefits but 1 specific 1 is that it will boost circulation levels towards the penile regions. It has also been shown to reduce tension.