Flexible Spending Question For International Surgery... Help!

[TheSkinnyCow73 72]

I am hoping someone can help me with this or has an experience to share.... I am posting this in the MX forum also...

I have set aside $7500 in FSA funds (Flex Dollars) for my surgery in MX with Dr. Rodriguez.

So, I called my insurance company (United HealthCare) to discuss what i will need to submit a claim if my card doesnt work in MX. Right off the bat, the lady tells me that they WILL NOT accept anything International. When I asked her why not, she had no answer. I asked here if that was a UHC rule or the IRS. She said that UHC goes strictly by the IRS guidelines. So, I asked her to find for me where it said that FSA could NOT be used for international medical needs. She couldnt obvioulsy because there isnt any place on the IRS website under FSA that says yes or no to international surgeries being covered. She said to do my homework and have all the bills in USD$ ready for submission. Needless to say, that wasnt a good enough answer for me. This is not something that I can take a chance on not being reimbursed for.. this is alot of money!

So I spoke to my coordinator yesterday and the $10 credit card (my FSA Mastercard) went through! Yay!, right? Not so fast. I then get an email stating that "I cannot however guarantee that they will accept all of this for reimbursement of FSA claim since it is out of country. I just want you to be clear that while we will help with the forms there are sometimes codes etc that are requested on the forms that are not necessarily internationally interchangeable. We will do our best to help but since this a self pay surgery we cannot be responsible if the claim is not reimbursed" Crap! Now I am all confused, again!

Can anyone give me any advice on how to handle this? What was your experience using FSA dollars and how did you handle using the flex card or submitting the paperwork to get reimbursed?

I would also like to say that I have scoured the internet looking for information and cannot find anything that says I CANNOT use my FSA for international medical needs. The following website states that it IS allowable but I dont know if this will hold up in my defense of getting reimbursed!

https://www.myfbmc.c...sa.aspx#fsa_18a

Q

Can I be reimbursed for medical services obtained in a foreign country?

A

The services can be reimbursed, but not the lodging or transportation expenses. When you submit your claim, you must include English translations for any foreign receipts that are not in English. Also, you must convert the cost to the applicable U.S. dollar amount, using the currency exchange rate as of the date that the service was provided

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/mexico/4075601/Using-HSA-FSA-funds-for-lap-band-surgery-in-Mexico/

[happy1957 138]

I suggest you talk with an accountant, but I think a cash advance and international money order would do . I don't see why you can't claim it as long as you have proof that you spent it on medical issues.

I do have a question, I thought the maximum you could deposit into a Flex account was 5000.00 ?

[TheSkinnyCow73 72]

I found this link for others that have used FSA..... I guess I am going to have to make sure my ducks are in a row and just do it!

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/mexico/4075601/Using-HSA-FSA-funds-for-lap-band-surgery-in-Mexico/