General Discussion

WillowTree

(5,350 posts)

92. Please don't misunderstand me here.

Sun Feb 21, 2016, 09:49 PM

Feb 2016

I 'm no fan of Christian Science "treatment". Personally have no use for it whatsoever. I watched my beloved Grandmother die in a Christian Science sanatorium and it broke my heart.

Still, it was what she believed in. And the care there and the services of the practitioner surely cost far less than a week's treatment of a stroke would have cost in a hospital. And, while I know this view isn't popular here on DU (or lots of other places), I do support the right of people to follow their religious beliefs so long as those beliefs don't involve harming others.

So, IMO, paying for the services of their practitioners (and sanatoriums, I suppose, for that matter) out of the funds in an HSA, which is the insured's own money, shouldn't be an issue, either.

Some (but certainly not all) health insurance plans have covered the services of Christian Science practitioners for many years. And insurers have actually been mandated by various state departments of insurance to cover most of the other practitioners mentioned in this thread, chiropractors, naturopaths and homeopaths etc, for years, as well.

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Health Savings Accounts: a tax-sheltered way to pay for quackery [View all] HuckleB Feb 2016 OP

HSAs also get used for traditional, science based medicine. Nuclear Unicorn Feb 2016 #1

Yes, they do. HuckleB Feb 2016 #2

I use them all the time RockaFowler Feb 2016 #3

You and many others. Which is why the baby-with-the-bathwater tone of the article seems Nuclear Unicorn Feb 2016 #4

Perhaps you should read the entire article before judging it. -eom- HuckleB Feb 2016 #5

true, but in conjunction with insurance, not in lieu of it karynnj Feb 2016 #22

And I put $2k in at the beginning of every year... awoke_in_2003 Feb 2016 #12

Bankruptcy. HuckleB Feb 2016 #13

Yep, I agree... awoke_in_2003 Feb 2016 #14

I stop by to have lunch with the accounts payable person assigned to me at the clinic. HuckleB Feb 2016 #15

Yes. Glasses, dentist bills Liberal_in_LA Feb 2016 #25

Yeah well when this country is no longer a plutocracy I will worry about that. Rex Feb 2016 #6

Yeah, let's keep letting things get worse. HuckleB Feb 2016 #7

Who is letting things get worse? You and I or the people in charge. Get real here. Rex Feb 2016 #8

Well, for the past five years, employer insurance has paid for all sorts of non-standard treatments. haele Feb 2016 #9

Employees are not treated well in this country, no doubt. HuckleB Feb 2016 #11

For most people, they can't put enough in a health savings account to pay for anything shraby Feb 2016 #10

So what? Egnever Feb 2016 #16

So you didn't read the link. HuckleB Feb 2016 #17

I read it Egnever Feb 2016 #18

You didn't read it. HuckleB Feb 2016 #19

LOL Egnever Feb 2016 #20

I have reality, and honesty. HuckleB Feb 2016 #21

The whole idea behind tax breaks is to encourage things that benefit society Major Nikon Feb 2016 #23

+1,000 ... 000 HuckleB Feb 2016 #24

What utter bullshit CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #26

Is paying someone to pray for you a medical expense? Major Nikon Feb 2016 #29

That is nowhere in your link. CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #30

It's listed quite clearly on the link I provided Major Nikon Feb 2016 #31

Still not cited. I see nowhere in your link Christian Science being covered CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #34

Control-F is your friend Major Nikon Feb 2016 #35

That's nice, still not there CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #36

You also said conclusively, "HSA's cannot be used to pay for non medical expenses" Major Nikon Feb 2016 #37

They cannot be. I've never backtracked. What you are saying is very outrageous. CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #39

So asserting that praying for someone isn't medical treatment is outrageous bigotry Major Nikon Feb 2016 #40

Christ, nowhere does it say praying is a medical expense CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #46

There are no licensed medical professionals in the Church of Christ, Scientist. progressoid Feb 2016 #49

And those are not covered CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #50

Actually, "Various U.S. federal, state, and private health insurance plans provide for the reimburse progressoid Feb 2016 #58

Nonsense Major Nikon Feb 2016 #65

On page #7 of that very IRS pulblication....... WillowTree Feb 2016 #78

Not only that, these quacks claim their "treatment" is more effective... Major Nikon Feb 2016 #84

Please don't misunderstand me here. WillowTree Feb 2016 #92

Read the article in the OP, and get back to us. HuckleB Feb 2016 #93

I did. Every word. I'll still stand by my own opinions. WillowTree Feb 2016 #94

I'm not buying it. HuckleB Feb 2016 #98

In what way? WillowTree Feb 2016 #99

So.........You seem to be comfortable implying that I'm being disingenuous, but..... WillowTree Feb 2016 #100

I was off line. HuckleB Feb 2016 #101

Ah, but I did. WillowTree Feb 2016 #104

I'm all for people spending their money on whatever quackery they want Major Nikon Feb 2016 #95

How does someone paying their own money....... WillowTree Feb 2016 #96

One person's tax benefit is a tax burden on everyone else Major Nikon Feb 2016 #97

No, you said that Major Nikon Feb 2016 #52

I disagree and don't accept with what you're asserting CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #54

I could really care less if you accept it or not Major Nikon Feb 2016 #56

And I'm pointing out the value of yours CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #57

Sure, and pointing out Christian Science is quackery is just like the Donald hating on the Muslims Major Nikon Feb 2016 #62

This one has taken denialism to a whole other level! cleanhippie Feb 2016 #61

You just need faith Major Nikon Feb 2016 #63

Or willful ignorance cleanhippie Feb 2016 #64

Those two things go together like drunk and disorderly Major Nikon Feb 2016 #66

On DU it's not uncommon to see someone choose willfull ignorance when facts disagree with them cleanhippie Feb 2016 #60

Some even elevate the practice to performance art Major Nikon Feb 2016 #71

it's a performance, alright. Art, not so much. cleanhippie Feb 2016 #76

Prove your assertions with the same level of evidence provided ... HuckleB Feb 2016 #33

Don't wait up Major Nikon Feb 2016 #43

I gave you an entire thread that debunked what you were saying CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #47

Yeah, you claimed Christian Science quacks were actually licensed by the state Major Nikon Feb 2016 #59

K&R (NT) ghostsinthemachine Feb 2016 #27

Why people ignore corporate "science" AxionExcel Feb 2016 #28

Nice conspiracy derp. HuckleB Feb 2016 #32

It's tragic how some people cling to their "beliefs" AxionExcel Feb 2016 #45

Sure, anyone who calls Christian "Science" quackery MUST be a pawn of big pharma Major Nikon Feb 2016 #67

Being against big pharma is not conspiracy theory CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #51

Perhaps not, but it's a great start Major Nikon Feb 2016 #68

Thank you for the dose of common sense AxionExcel Feb 2016 #72

So buy into all forms of anti-science quackery? HuckleB Mar 2016 #106

HSAs: More admission of the American health system's disgraceful failure. HughBeaumont Feb 2016 #38

This a valid criticism of the HSA model, not what the OP is talking about CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #53

Perhaps I'm missing something here....... WillowTree Feb 2016 #85

There are a couple of really easy, good uses for FSA ... LannyDeVaney Feb 2016 #41

This piece is based on the incorrect assumption latebloomer Feb 2016 #42

+1 the same people who say alternative medicine is a quack CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #48

People who twist themselves into pretzels to defend alternative medicine... Major Nikon Feb 2016 #73

Are you a RationalWiki poster? CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #80

Honesty and logic. I guess you find those things appalling. HuckleB Feb 2016 #82

I find RationalWiki lame CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #88

It doesn't like your fantasies, so no one is surprised. HuckleB Feb 2016 #90

RationalWiki is fantasy CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #103

Well the source here "seems to think" Christian Science Practitioners are licensed by the state Major Nikon Feb 2016 #105

I hear that from time to time Major Nikon Feb 2016 #91

Nice logical fallacy you got there. HuckleB Feb 2016 #79

The lack of understanding of HSA regulations is embarrassing CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #81

I'm glad to see you acknowledge that reality. HuckleB Feb 2016 #83

You all think religious services are covered, which is hogwash CommonSenseDemocrat Feb 2016 #86

And you go to making things up. HuckleB Feb 2016 #89

Do you know what they call alternative medicine that's been proved to work? Medicine. progressoid Feb 2016 #55

If that were true, it wouldn't be called alternate medicine Major Nikon Feb 2016 #69

The quacks are adding on to this... Archae Feb 2016 #44

HSAs are mostly used for traditional medicine, and are needed now more than ever. Yo_Mama Feb 2016 #70

"mostly" being the key word Major Nikon Feb 2016 #74

In general, if you can get a physician to sign a letter of medical necessity it is not quackery. Yo_Mama Feb 2016 #75

I have no doubt that you are correct Major Nikon Feb 2016 #77

They can also pay for deductibles. dilby Feb 2016 #87

This message was self-deleted by its author Skittles Feb 2016 #102