Use It or Lose It

The catch:

That's the word if you have a flexiblespending account (FSA) to help you payfor health care items that aren't coveredby your health insurance. Anything inthe FSA that you don't spend by year-endis gone. This year, for the first time,you can stock up on over-the-counteritems like aspirin and contact lens solutionand get reimbursed from your FSA.The language in the USTreasury Department ruling allowingsuch payouts is very broad, so your FSAadministrator is guided only by wordingthat says medications taken for "medicalcare" are eligible, while those that are"merely beneficial" are not. Antacidspass the test; vitamins, in general, donot. For more information on what's eligible,visit www.drugstore.com/fsa.