Plus more health news |

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.
  
How to spend down your FSA by the year's end
By Tara Law
Health reporter

I tend to be cautious with money, but this year I dropped the ball by not maximizing the benefits from my Health Savings Account (HSA). I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I haven’t used my account to fund my health care visits or buy the products I use every day.

Luckily, HSAs can roll over—but Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) expire by the end of the year. Don't panic though; there's still time to use both. Here’s how to maximize them in the last month of the year:

  • Dig up receipts for health care bills you incurred in 2022, including from doctor’s offices and hospitals, and submit them for reimbursement.
  • Use your account to buy health-related items you use regularly, like contact lens solution or diapers. Sites like Amazon and Walmart have guides to eligible products.
  • Schedule any last-minute doctor’s appointments for December, before the year's end. And no matter how you used your HSA or FSA this year, make it a New Year’s resolution to use it smarter in 2023.

READ THE STORY.

 
Share the story
What else to read
China’s Zero-COVID Trap
By Chad de Guzman and Amy Gunia
Protesters in China have demanded an end to the country’s strict pandemic approach. Experts say that could invite a public health crisis.
Read More »
Yes, You Can Actually Die of a Broken Heart
By Dr. Sian Harding
Extreme emotional shock can come with fatal cardiac consequences, writes Dr. Sian Harding.
Read More »
Food Poisoning vs. Stomach Flu: How to Tell the Difference
By Amanda MacMillan
And how to feel better ASAP, no matter what your diagnosis. (Originally published in 2017.)
Read More »
Your Personality Could Add Years of Healthy Living
By Matt Fuchs
Recent research shows that several personality traits predict who will enjoy health into their 80s and beyond. (Originally published in 2021.)
Read More »
Why Saunas Are So Good for You
By Amanda MacMillan
Research shows that time in a hot, dry sauna reduces people's blood pressure and has a direct effect on heart health. (Originally published in 2018.)
Read More »
One Last Read
Pickleball: The Enemy of Peace and Quiet

LeBron James and  Tom Brady might be big fans of pickleball—but your local homeowners association? Not so much.

In a Wall Street Journal piece with terrific visuals, E.B. Solomont talks to people in communities overtaken by people who play pickleball, one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. While it's great exercise, the players emit a lot of noise pollution: blasting boomboxes, unleashing dogs, crowding the courts, and shouting wildly every time they land a point, according to disgruntled neighbors. As a result, the sport has been banned in some residential communities.

Read More »

If you were forwarded this and want to sign up to receive it daily, click here.

Today's newsletter was written by Tara Law and Angela Haupt and edited by Mandy Oaklander.