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International Assistance Any topics relating to traveling or communicating with international treatment locations are here. |
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#1
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Tax Write-Offs
I consulted with my accountant, and he said that after we spend 10% of our income on medical treatment, the rest is tax deductible. So save your receipts for EVERYTHING you do abroad (obviously not things like museums and such, but food etc., since the argument could be made that you cannot cook your own meals while you are there).
Oh, and a doctor's note couldn't hurt. Essentially, for something like this, they can't deny you because, clearly, it is necessary. Plastic surgery? Not so much.
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Multiple traumas to spine starting age 13. 1st American to have 6 ADR's in one surgery. C3-4 - C/7, & L5-S1 - L3-4. Surgery w/ Dr. Clavel, 3/18/13, M6. Before surgery: severe spinal stenosis C5/C6 (cord "flattened" per stateside doc), + for Hoffman's & Babinsky's. At time of surgery: 5 yrs MAX before ending up in wheelchair. Clavel found L5-S1 partially fused. Had to cut it apart to put in M6. Please excuse brevity - SEVERE carpel tunnel. |
#2
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I believe it's 7.5% of your adjusted gross income that is the threshold to deduct medical. You also have to watch what you can deduct. Hotels are $50 per night if I remember correctly, regardless of what you spent. Travel for a companion wasn't deductible unless that person had medical training and was necessary for your care. Basically, save every receipt and sit down towards the end of the year to figure out what you can deduct. Also, a huge deduction makes an audit more likely so be careful to document everything, including the benefits of traveling to see your chosen surgeon.
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Laura - L5S1 Charitee C5/6 and 6/7 Prodisc C Facet problems L4-S1 General joint hypermobility Jim - C4/5, C5/6, L4/5 disk bulges and facet damage, L4/5 disk tears, currently using regenerative medicine to address "There are many Annapurnas in the lives of men" Maurice Herzog |
#3
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Also don't know if this is relevant for U.S. taxes, but it is for Canadian:
You can claim the expense in any calendar year as long as one of the dates falls in the tax year, e.g. you can claim July 2011-July 2012, rather than Jan 1 - Dec 31st 2012. This is really important if you have been off work due to medical reasons. For example, I am NOT claiming my surgery last tax year (even though that is when my surgery happened) since I didn't work, but because I am going back to work in a couple months I will claim it THIS tax year with the corresponding tax credit benefits. -Jeff
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Lifelong history of back issues from a young age, spasms etc. 1995 - Weightlifting injury 1997 - Hip Injury 2009 - Trampoline injury (just bounced down on my butt) 2009-2011 Physiotherapy and medication, progress but no lasting pain relief 2010 - X-Ray DDD L5-S1, L4-L5, L4-L3 2010 - MRI Herniation L5-S1, Bulges L4-L5, L4-L3 2011 - Epidurals - No relief 2012 - Facet Injections - No relief 2012 - Discogram TBI - positive L3-S1 L3-S1 ADR M6-L w Clavel 11/28/2012 |
#4
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Quote:
In America, just to clarify, the tax year is the calendar year. As far as hotels and such go, I'm a lot less concerned about that than the cost of the surgery itself. Our tax guy estimated that our tax refund next year would exceed my husband's income! But that's because I am doing so many freaking levels at once. The likelihood of this kind of money being spent again on this forum is low, but just in case. PLUS, our accountant deals with the IRS for us if we do get audited. Gotta love H&R Block! I tell ya, man, $35.00 is a small price to pay for someone else to deal with the IRS if they dispute your 80k tax deduction (and that's just for the surgery alone, not any of the extra things like food and flights). Also, my husband may not have medical training (actually he *does*, but it is Alternative Healing stuff), but I challenge anyone to tell someone getting SIX levels of their spine replaced that they don't need a support person on the trip. Of course, it is the government, so who knows. I will also be getting letters of medical necessity from all of my various doctors, so that should help too. Oh, and, even 50 bucks a night for the hotel would be great to get back!
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Multiple traumas to spine starting age 13. 1st American to have 6 ADR's in one surgery. C3-4 - C/7, & L5-S1 - L3-4. Surgery w/ Dr. Clavel, 3/18/13, M6. Before surgery: severe spinal stenosis C5/C6 (cord "flattened" per stateside doc), + for Hoffman's & Babinsky's. At time of surgery: 5 yrs MAX before ending up in wheelchair. Clavel found L5-S1 partially fused. Had to cut it apart to put in M6. Please excuse brevity - SEVERE carpel tunnel. |
#5
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All travel expenses are tax deductible
Quote:
I am a C.P.A. Everything related to the trip is tax deductible to the extent it exceeds 10% of your adjusted gross income. In particular, your flights and hotel are, so you should take them. However, if you extend your trip by an extra week to take an additional vacation I would not recommend including that. The amount of hotel time recommended by your medical team is reasonable, in my opinion. Here's the good part. Because you are going to exceed 10% of your AGI with this surgery, you should include things at home that you normally wouldn't think of doing. Every single copay of every doctor's visit you make should be included. The same thing goes for medications. Any out-of-pocket costs (not reimbursed by insurance) can be added in. If you see a mental heath professional by some chance, they are usually not 100% covered. Include the out-of-pocket cost. Same goes for acupuncture. You could even deduct the cost of a massage if you have a doctor's note that says it's necessary. If you file a joint return, your husband can include all of his medical related expenses. Last but not least, don't forget to include any supplemental health or dental insurance in which you pay for the premiums out of pocket (and are not already deductible as a business expense).
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Car Accident 2002 - Small Herniated Disc C3/C4 1998 Larger Herniation and Cervical Fusion C3/C4 2005 Herniation C4/C5 - 40 epidural steroid injections from Oct 2005, - Oct, 2007 2008 - Foraminotomy at C6/C7 on left side Feb, 2010 - Cervical Fusion C4/C5 Dec, 2010 - Lumbar Fusion L3/L5 2013 - Bulge on C5/C6; herniation C6/C7 right side Mar 26, 2013 - Foraminotomy at C6/C7 on right side May 5, 2015 - ADR with Dr Blumenthal of TBI for C5/C6 using Mobi-C |
#6
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We are staying two days beyond the seven included in the package, solely because it was $800.00 cheaper to fly out two days later. This is the BEST NEWS EVER! In case you couldn't tell, you just totally rocked my world.
__________________
Multiple traumas to spine starting age 13. 1st American to have 6 ADR's in one surgery. C3-4 - C/7, & L5-S1 - L3-4. Surgery w/ Dr. Clavel, 3/18/13, M6. Before surgery: severe spinal stenosis C5/C6 (cord "flattened" per stateside doc), + for Hoffman's & Babinsky's. At time of surgery: 5 yrs MAX before ending up in wheelchair. Clavel found L5-S1 partially fused. Had to cut it apart to put in M6. Please excuse brevity - SEVERE carpel tunnel. |
#7
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What about meals while overseas? (Obviously nothing fancy).
__________________
Multiple traumas to spine starting age 13. 1st American to have 6 ADR's in one surgery. C3-4 - C/7, & L5-S1 - L3-4. Surgery w/ Dr. Clavel, 3/18/13, M6. Before surgery: severe spinal stenosis C5/C6 (cord "flattened" per stateside doc), + for Hoffman's & Babinsky's. At time of surgery: 5 yrs MAX before ending up in wheelchair. Clavel found L5-S1 partially fused. Had to cut it apart to put in M6. Please excuse brevity - SEVERE carpel tunnel. |
#8
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Only Hospital Meals As In-patient
I'm glad I could help!! If staying two extra days makes the entire package less because of a cheaper flight, I would deduct the entire amount. In the case of an audit, you (or your C.P.A.) can explain that to IRS agent. As far as meals go, according to IRS Publication 502, only those that are served in the hospital as part of in-patient care are deductible. Here is a link to that publication:
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf
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Car Accident 2002 - Small Herniated Disc C3/C4 1998 Larger Herniation and Cervical Fusion C3/C4 2005 Herniation C4/C5 - 40 epidural steroid injections from Oct 2005, - Oct, 2007 2008 - Foraminotomy at C6/C7 on left side Feb, 2010 - Cervical Fusion C4/C5 Dec, 2010 - Lumbar Fusion L3/L5 2013 - Bulge on C5/C6; herniation C6/C7 right side Mar 26, 2013 - Foraminotomy at C6/C7 on right side May 5, 2015 - ADR with Dr Blumenthal of TBI for C5/C6 using Mobi-C |
#9
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You rock! Thank you!
__________________
Multiple traumas to spine starting age 13. 1st American to have 6 ADR's in one surgery. C3-4 - C/7, & L5-S1 - L3-4. Surgery w/ Dr. Clavel, 3/18/13, M6. Before surgery: severe spinal stenosis C5/C6 (cord "flattened" per stateside doc), + for Hoffman's & Babinsky's. At time of surgery: 5 yrs MAX before ending up in wheelchair. Clavel found L5-S1 partially fused. Had to cut it apart to put in M6. Please excuse brevity - SEVERE carpel tunnel. |
#10
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I think I am going to be sick.
I just confirmed with my CPA that in fact, what this means is the we will get back ONLY what was withheld by the government, not the full amount of the surgery. In fact, it is a fraction of the total cost of the surgery, and net even enough to cover the loan we took out to pay for part of it. I am glad to be getting something back, rather than nothing, but going from thinking I was going to be getting it all back to this? Well, I feel like I want to puke.
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Multiple traumas to spine starting age 13. 1st American to have 6 ADR's in one surgery. C3-4 - C/7, & L5-S1 - L3-4. Surgery w/ Dr. Clavel, 3/18/13, M6. Before surgery: severe spinal stenosis C5/C6 (cord "flattened" per stateside doc), + for Hoffman's & Babinsky's. At time of surgery: 5 yrs MAX before ending up in wheelchair. Clavel found L5-S1 partially fused. Had to cut it apart to put in M6. Please excuse brevity - SEVERE carpel tunnel. |
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