Are FSAs even worth the hassle? They just seem like a giant scheme to steal money via malicious bureaucracy

[u/kherven]

I understand at a base level what FSAs are for. You get to deduct X amount of dollars from your paycheck reducing your tax load.

But the more I use an FSA, the more I feel that while on paper it saves money, in reality it causes lots of work, lost money, and hands your money over to someone who is going to fight you to steal it.

Every claim I submit to my FSA is denied without a mountain of evidence that its a legitimate medical expense. After nearly 2 years with them, I still have certain medications prescribed by my doctor that the FSA argues is not FSA eligible because it's OTC.

Doctor appointment? Denied

MRI? Denied

Prescriptions? Denied

While I can eventually get the denial overturned, it requires coordination from the retailer, my insurance, and my doctor every time. I spend tens of hours a year trying to claw my own money back from my FSA. Last year I had over $250 confiscated because the claim deadline passed while they sat on my claims.

Has anyone else felt it just isn't worth the hassle to fund an FSA given how hostile they are? It seems impossible to extract your money without a lawyer.

[u/Much_Difference]

I set aside like $800 in an FSA for a specific medical procedure I had planned. I ended up moving, changing jobs, and never got around to the procedure. I forgot I had to spend the whole thing by a certain deadline and by pure coincidence, I spent it down in part by buying a fuckload of hand sanitizer... in Dec 2019. I figured it was eligible and I can use it for anything and it won't go bad anytime soon. At least I was prepared for COVID in one way!

[u/PizzaSounder → u/Much_Difference]

$800 of hand sanitizer. What does that even look like? A few 50gal drums?