What are qualified medical expenses?

By Jason Watson

Qualified Medical Expenses

Qualified medical expenses are the costs of diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease, and the costs for treatment affecting any part or function of the body. They include the costs of equipment, supplies and diagnostic devices needed for these purposes. Medical expenses also cover the cost of dental care. However, cosmetic dentistry is not a qualified medical expense, but if your cosmetic dentistry also prevented gum disease, for example, then perhaps a portion would be qualified. Additionally, expenses for procedures that are purely cosmetic or those that are merely beneficial to general health, such as vitamins or a vacation, are not deductible.

Again, there are some grey areas for qualified medical expenses such as varicose veins- is it cosmetic or a procedure designed to reduce pain an swelling? You need to position yourself carefully with some of these issues.

Maternity clothes are not a qualified medical expense. Sorry.