Money Girl's Quick And Dirty Tips For A Richer Life

1044. Are rising healthcare costs ruining your budget? Laura answers a listener’s question about how to maximize every tax advantage available for healthcare costs. You’ll learn the rules for deducting them on your tax return or paying them with tax-advantaged savings accounts like HSAs and FSAs. We’ll cover which expenses are tax-free and simple strategies to optimize your healthcare spending.Key Takeaways:You can only claim the medical tax deduction if you itemize deductions on Schedule A instead of claiming the standard deduction on your tax return.You can only deduct unreimbursed healthcare expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI), making the medical deduction best for years with high medical bills.Tax-advantaged medical savings accounts are powerful because they allow you to save 20% to 35% on qualified costs without claiming a medical deduction.Health savings account (HSA) balances roll over forever, can be invested for tax-free growth, and can be withdrawn penalty-free for non-medi