Spend Flex Dollars Now

If you have money in an employer-sponsoredflexible spending account tohelp you pay for out-of-pocket health carecosts, it's time to start using that cash ifyou haven't already. At the end of the year,any money left in the account will vanish.You can use the money in a flexibleaccount for a broad array of health careservices and products that your healthinsurance may not cover (eg, eyeglasses,orthodontia, and smoking-cessation programs).You can also use flex account cashto pay for prescription drugs that aren'tcovered by your insurance—and the IRShas recently ruled that you can also use itto buy certain over-the-counter drugs thatused to require prescriptions, like Claritinand other allergy medicines.