Purchasing catheters with a FSA?

[jj1987]

James I work with people who use condom caths as they lack bladder control (paraplegia and quadraplegia) and with people with the same disabilities who use foley caths every day to allow their bladder to completely empty to avoid further medical complications.

THOSE individuals are the reason that catheters are an allowable HSA expense. The regulations that allow them to be purchased as an allowable medical expense and the congressional intent behind the authorizing legislation was clearly not intended to allow James, Cave Diver, to save a few dollars cave diving.

To in any way try to capitalize on an FSA account and apply it to your diving related condom caths is insulting to people who have to use them for legitimate medical reasons and who use an FSA to offset disability related expenses.

I guess if there is an upside to this it's that you are only a DCS hit away from potentially having to use them for legitimate medical reasons....

Larry,

Had items that were medical related but strictly recreational been clearly marked allowed, I would have never asked, and I would 100% agree with you it's unethical to buy recreational items under a FSA account.

In your edit, you clearly avoid the condom and via.gra examples, but that's neither here nor there I suppose, since it's clear none of us participating in this thread can find any definition.

[KarsticGator]

Posting because I don't know the definition of eligible expenses and cannot find it. If you can find it, I'd love to read it. My intent isn't to break the law, it's to understand it..

Then I suggest not asking cave divers questions about tax laws. Ask your CPA.

[DA Aquamaster]

Larry,

Had items that were medical related but strictly recreational been clearly marked allowed, I would have never asked, and I would 100% agree with you it's unethical to buy recreational items under a FSA account.

I wish I could read the definition, but it's clear none of us participating in this thread can find it.

James, you're a smart guy. I'm just amazed, appalled, and I guess disappointed you even felt the need to ask when the end use is clearly recreational. I expected better from you.

You have incredible potential but starting down the track with this kind of ethically challenged rationalization will get you into situations that will close doors and limit your potential. Don't go there.

[lv2dive]

I got pointed to this post bc someone knows I work in HR (nominally - I work in HR systems, so it's not really the same) but anyway... to provide some insight (what it means specifically one would have to ascertain themselves) according to at least one definition (wageworks, one of the major FSA administrators), both "urological products" and "condoms" are covered - without an Rx.

But that isn't why I am posting... on reading the thread I was surprised there was a question about ethics raised... the point of condom catheters is to allow for hydration, which we all know is an important factor in prevention of DCS... making it reasonable to say they are medically necessary. I hadn't thought it about, but maybe I could use my FSA account for my she-p?!?!... I do believe that catheters are at least as (if not more) medically necessary than a lot of the other expenses that covered, so if they ARE covered, I personally would have no ethical dilemma in spending money I earned to help keep me hydrated.

[KarsticGator]

But that isn't why I am posting... on reading the thread I was surprised there was a question about ethics raised... the point of condom catheters is to allow for hydration, which we all know is an important factor in prevention of DCS... making it reasonable to say they are medically necessary..

But you aren't medically required to cave dive. Using this logic, you should be able to by bottled water with an FSA.

[jj1987]

But you aren't medically required to cave dive. Using this logic, you should be able to by bottled water with an FSA.

Are you medically required to have sex?

[Greenwood_60]

Are you medically required to have sex?

Yes. And it's the blue pill. You are obviously not partying with the right crowd

[Sludge]

This is nonsense. P-valves help prevent DCS. Condoms help prevent STDs, which is why they are allowed.

I don't see the difference.

[KarsticGator]

Are you medically required to have sex?

yes. dr's orders... prn.

[DA Aquamaster]

This is nonsense. P-valves help prevent DCS. Condoms help prevent STDs, which is why they are allowed.

I don't see the difference.

Really?

Let's take that to the limit then - nitrox and O2 reduce the DCS risk on any given profile relative to just using air, and thus help prevent DCS so let's just pay the gas bill with the FSA account. Or better yet, since cave diving (or more correctly the exercise involved) increases good cholesterol reduces bad cholesterol and has other positive effects, why can't I just use pre tax FSA money to cover the entire cost of my cave trips?

While I'd love to NOT see the difference, there is a difference and it's pretty clear. But it's interesting to see how people try to rationalize things like this.