We have an FSA program in my office and I signed up for it the first year. I was going to have to have cataract surgery and figured it would wipe out everything I could save. Well, it didn't, so I was left with a good-sized account to spend (you have to spend it by the end of your plan year ... which meant everyone participating was spending as much of what was in the account at the end). The drawback I found was that if there was one transaction they questioned, the card became unusable until you'd cleared it up. I was stuck about two weeks before the deadline with one thing they wouldn't approve because I couldn't get the receipts/proof to them - I tried mailing and, when I was ready to scan and email it, the item had disappeared from my account ... but they were still not letting me use the card. Took a while to get it cleared up.

Mine is a high deductible PPO. Locals have the choice of an HMO, but remote employees do not. There is a difference in deductibles. Mine is $3000 for a single, $6000 for a family. HMO is slightly less. Company makes things easier by paying 75% of the premium, and contributing half of the deductible. I can also roll over any of the unused deductible funds year over year, though I will always have $500 in the game. As these things go, I'm pretty lucky.

Any Boston/NH-istas and Chicago-istas in need of a good job, let me know. IT is hiring (Theodosia?), and there a number of admin/ops positions available.

I can haz fresh, good tasting water!!

Hooray! I take it you didn't have to sell your soul to do it?

Remains to be seen. But they did leave me an 80lb bag of salt.

Timelies all!

Weird thing happened yesterday. I came home from work and there was a grocery bag with chips, doughnuts and some sort of a root vegetable in it sitting in front of our door. No note, so I have no idea where it came from. I left it out there in case someone came back for it, but no one has. I don't know what to do about it, since it's not ours, and I don't want it. I guess I'll toss the items.

But they did leave me an 80lb bag of salt.

Will that be enough to do the windows as well as the doors?

But they did leave me an 80lb bag of salt.

Nice.

I chose the high deductible plan, because it is only $4.00 per month. They are also giving us $200 to start off our HSA this year, and my deductible is $1300 with a $200 out of pocket maximum if you use one of our physicians (which I already do)

Yeah, I'm a reasonably healthy person, so I'm not THAT worried. I just really resent having the choice taken away. And I feel bad for people on pricey prescriptions. The first couple/few months until they meet the deductible are gonna SUCK.

Oh, yeah, I think we did get a contribution to the HSA from the employer, too. Man, that was probably a decade ago? Details are hazy. I know I crunched the numbers for possible outcomes before we decided to go that route, and when there were lifestyle changes a couple years later it was no longer the optimal choice.