Below, you'll find extensive information on leading health insurance articles and products to help you on your way to success.

Using A Health Savings Account To Pay For Alternative Medicine
By Wiley P. Long

Using A Health Savings Account To Pay For Alternative Medicine
By Wiley P. Long
Health Savings Accounts allow you to set up a tax-deductible account to pay for medical expenses that are not covered by your insurance. These include expenses to cover your deductible, and other medical expenses like dental and eyeglasses. But many don't realize that HSA funds can be used to pay for virtually any type of medical service, as long as it pertains to the treatment or prevention of a specific condition.

Because money withdrawn from a savings account to pay medical expenses is tax-free, anyone who has an HSA can funnel all alternative medical expenses through their HSA and get a tax write-off. This could include biofeedback, naturopathy, Ayurvedic medicine, aromatherapy, magnetic healing, reflexology, and the list goes on.

People who use complementary therapies are often very conscious, and go to traditional physicians less often. So it does not make sense for them to be paying a high premium for a traditional insurance plan with a co-pay, particularly when their medical treatments are not covered anyway. Instead, many are choosing a low cost high-deductible HSA plan.

Alternative Therapies Becoming Mainstream

Many hospitals are now offering complementary treatments. The website for the Memorial Sloan-Keating Cancer Center states that complementary therapies are used to "help alleviate stress, reduce pain and anxiety, manage symptoms, and promote a feeling of well-being."

Some group insurance plans are beginning to cover more complementary expenses, but there is still very little coverage for these expenses in individual or family plans. Those that cover chiropractic limit coverage to 12 - 20 visits per year, and a few will cover a limited amount of acupuncture. But very few if any cover hypnotherapy, Reiki, iridology, or faith healers.

Why Complementary Medicine

The conventional medicine practiced by most MDs is called allopathic medicine. The philosophy of this system is to treat disease and injury using counteractive methods. For instance, if you have a fever you may take aspirin to make it go down, if your cholesterol is elevated you may take a statin to reduce it, if you have heartburn you may take an antacid. The thinking is mostly focused on removing the symptoms of disease, and the primary treatment modalities are surgery and prescription drugs.

But there are other ways to look at things. Naturopathic medicine is based on the belief in the body's own healing powers, which can be strengthened through the use of certain foods, vitamins, herbs, or other "natural" treatments. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is based on ancient Chinese theories about the balance of yin and yang. Ayurvedic medicine is based on principles of movement, metabolism, and structure.

Part of the growing use of complementary therapies is a reaction to the costs, side effects, and philosophy of conventional allopathic medicine. Physicians get much

PEGASYS Official Site - Sponsored Link
Ad - www.pegasys.com Aug 28 2008 11:58AM GMT
Inspect Test and Tag help to ensure safety of business assets
Ferret.com.au Aug 28 2008 11:58AM GMT
Campaign seeks on-site safety
Metronews Aug 28 2008 11:57AM GMT
Scotland looks to equity fines to hit safety flouters
CN+ Aug 28 2008 10:58AM GMT
Utah mine pays $70,000 for safety violations
China Mining Aug 28 2008 9:51AM GMT
Land of elf 'n' safety: EU Proms police order musicians to keep the volume down
Evening Standard Aug 28 2008 9:09AM GMT
Annual Safety Fair set for Sept. 20 at La Porte Junior High
Bayshore Sun Aug 28 2008 9:06AM GMT
Safety Triggers, Training Cut Nail Gun Injuries
KTRE Aug 28 2008 9:01AM GMT
Land of elf 'n' safety: EU Proms police order musicians to keep the volume down
Mail Online UK Aug 28 2008 7:37AM GMT
Downtown Phoenix campus showcases safety features
Arizona State University Aug 28 2008 6:49AM GMT
Care homes urged to improve safety
Derbyshire Times Aug 28 2008 5:57AM GMT
Utah mine pays $70,000 for safety violations
KPVI Aug 28 2008 3:29AM GMT
Care homes urged to improve safety
Warwick Courier Aug 28 2008 3:17AM GMT
Workplace deaths highlight need for job safety
Scoop Aug 28 2008 1:46AM GMT
Care homes urged to improve safety
Scarborough Evening News Aug 28 2008 1:17AM GMT
Care homes urged to improve safety
Galloway Gazette Aug 28 2008 1:15AM GMT
Care homes urged to improve safety
Eastbourne Herald Aug 28 2008 1:13AM GMT
Unapproved B&Bs operating without safety standards
Evening Echo Aug 28 2008 12:58AM GMT
JakeBreak4Kids and Methodist Medical announce free Kids Health and Safety Expo
Oak Ridger Aug 28 2008 12:48AM GMT
Care homes urged to improve safety
Whitby Gazette Aug 28 2008 12:08AM GMT

Pic

Pic