Hearing Implants

[Guest Darla K]

I have a client who is wondering if they can claim their hearing implant surgery through their medical reimbursement account. They will be having a hearing device surgically implanted in their ear.

The insurance as of right now does not cover the expense because it is a new surgery.

I was wondering if it could be reimbursed??

Since it is not really considered cosmetic, just like the laser surgery still isn't considered cosmetic either, I wasn't sure if it could be covered. Because the laser eye surgery is usually not covered by insurance carriers either but yet is still, as I know of, reimbursable through a fsa.

[actuarysmith]

Outside of my area, but....................

I think that this participant may be having cochlear implants. This is a relatively new procedure that has restored hearing abilities for many people (Rush Limbaugh for one.........)

The cochlea is in the middle ear and can be damaged by bacteria, virus, disease, or certain medications. Cochlear implants are electronic devices that replace a damaged cochlea.

This is definitely NOT a cosmetic procedure.

[Guest Darla K]

Yeah I realized it is not cosmetic. I was relating it to the laser eye surgery because of the insurance not covering the expense.

So is it eligible to be reimbursed or not??

[QDROphile]

If you want specific answers that don't require presumed knowledge, you have to ask a specific answerable question. The first question for you, and almost always the first question in any analyis, is what does the plan document say can be reimbursed?

Unless you post that information, readers can only guess. Actuarysmith made a reasonable guess and gave an answer that is responsive to the typical issue about eligibility.

[Kirk Maldonado]

Darla K:

Have you looked in IRS Publication 502? You probably won't find anything exactly on point, but you may find something that helps.