[GNC] Advice needed, how to handle a medical reimbursement account...

[randix]

I've been stumbling around with a particular issue for several years, and
figure I need to finally clean up how I enter the amounts in question, once
and for all... honestly, I'm stumped...

I do contract work all over the country. When I do contract work in lovely
(sarcasm) San Francisco, they have enacted a city ordinance that mandates
that in certain situations, employers in the City of San Francisco, are
required to set up a medical reimbursement account ("MRA") for employees--I
qualify. On a quarterly basis, I get notified that an employer has deposited
X amount in my medical reimbursement account. I can then submit my health
related expenses, and get reimbursed.

So here's what I've done in the past, and I realize there must be a better
way that is more clean...

1. I created an ASSET account for the MRA.  Actually I created several ASSET
accounts because each employer I do contract work for in San Francisco,
creates a separate MRA account for me.  Those accounts reflect my pending
credit balances in each MRA account.  If I didn't do that, my head would be
spinning to keep track of how much I have available in each MRA account (and
which one I should submit a claim to...)

2. I obviously have standard EXPENSE accounts set up for healthcare, broken
down by insurance, medical, dental, optical, etc.

So let's say that on April 1 I paid $100 to Doctor X.  I have a debit off
one of my checking accounts to pay that amount, and my expense account for
medical reflects the $100.  I then submit a claim reimbursement for the $100
from an MRA account.  When the claim is approved, they deposit the $100 in
my checking account, obviously that shows up as a credit/deposit.  The
offsetting entry is for the MRA account where the payment came from, so my
ASSET account for that MRA reflects the new balance remaining.

BUT... obviously I still have the $100 payment reflected in my expense
account for medical.  How do I get a credit into that account so it
accurately reflects the amount of my medical expenses for which I have not
been reimbursed?  I know this makes zero sense, but in a fantasy world I
would like to have credits be made simultaneously in both the ASSET MRA
account as well as the EXPENSE medical account.

Hope that makes sense... GnuCash suggestions to get me out of this
accounting jungle?





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