Insurance deductible/FSA question

Wipz

as  I am sure some of you have already realised our deductibles start over again Jan 1st... which sucks if you met, or almost met it already this year   mine is also being raised next year

My question is .... I got a couple of medical bills (for my portion of costs for lab work etc) yesterday in the mail which I obviously won't be able to pay till the new year now. Can I put those on my FSA which starts Jan 1st and will it go on next years deductible or will I have to pay it towards last years deductible since that was when the costs were incurred? 

Also if it has to be applied to last years deductible, what happens if it's more than my balance that is left on the deductible  for last year?

any advice/opinions appreciated ....

greengirl0909

Insurance and deductibles apply to the year the service was provided.  My son had surgery on Dec 26th, but we didn't receive bills until April, so it was annoying that we couldn't use this year's flex spending to pay it off. 

I think your last question means if you meet your deductible and still owe more money what happens? Insurance can vary from policy to policy, but basically it works like this.  Your provider agrees to cover certain services, for example my insurance covers up to $300 of lab/xrays at no cost to me.  I have a $15 copay then they cover routine doctor visits. Anything else, like surgery or additional lab work, I have to pay myself, up to the deductible amount.  My deductible is 1500 per person or $1000 per family.  Once you've paid that amount out (copays and prescription drugs don't usually count) then your insurance kicks in at whatever the rate is.  Some is 100%.  Mine is 80/20, meaning they pay 80% of the bill and I pay the remaining 20% until I meet my maximum out of pocket, which is $1500 per person or $3000 per family, when insurance covers everything at 100%. 

I hope this helps! 

Wipz

Thanks that is exactly what I was asking   

bingham101

For the question about what if the bill is over my deductible. The insurance company normally reviews and adjusts the bill before it comes to you. So most likely the bill you receive is what you will owe. For instance if you meet your deductible then maybe you might pay 20% of the charges after that... just depends on your plan. When in doubt call your insurance company.

Wipz

Thanks ..