With the tax season upon us, many people are looking for deductions. One category of expenses that could lead to tax savings is healthcare. The average spending per person on healthcare expenses was $12,914 in 2021, up 2.7% year over year.

The IRS allows deductions for many medical procedures and items. However, there is an income limitation. You also have to itemize your deductions to qualify. Thus, many people may not be able to claim medical expense deductions, since itemized deductions typically don’t exceed the standard deduction. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act nearly doubled the standard deduction for all tax filers.

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An estimated 112 million Americans are struggling to pay for health care, according to the West Health-Gallup Healthcare Affordability Index and Healthcare Value Index, reported in 2022. These metrics were developed after the rate of Americans reporting skipping health care due to cost had tripled the year before. 

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It’s never been easier to interact with your doctor. There’s rarely a need to place actual phone calls to your doctor’s office only to be met with hold music – most everything is now online. You can get your prescription medicines mailed directly to your door without stepping foot in a pharmacy. Even mundane interactions like setting up appointments, accessing test results, and communicating directly with the doctor are easier today thanks to smartphone apps and online patient portals. This improved access and flexibility empowers people to be more active players in their health care and achieve better health outcomes.

But, as we continue to embrace and utilize these digital health to

 

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“Hospice doctor Bethany Snider sees the writing on the wall: “The hospice care we’ve known and loved won’t be the same 10 years from now.”

Hosparus Health, the Louisville-based hospice agency where Snider serves as chief medical officer, is one of more than 100 provider organizations partnering with some of the country’s largest health insurers on a federal experiment that could transform hospice care for millions of people.”

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Studies show a mysterious health benefit to ice cream. Scientists don’t want to talk about it.

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