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

[John Ralls]

Don’t do this unless you are going to create customers for each MRA and then create invoices when you file reimbursement claims. GnuCash treats the A/R account type specially and doesn’t like it when you create splits in one outside of the business subsystem.

Regards,
John Ralls

> On May 13, 2018, at 8:04 PM, Christopher Lam <christopher.lck at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Randix; you can try using the Business features and see if they work for
> you, or use an intermediary 'asset'-type account (or more accurately,
> account receivable).
> 
> 1-Jan:
> Income:MRA -$1000
> Asset:MRA +$1000
> 
> 5-Jan: visit Doctor123
> Asset:Checking -$100
> Expense:Medical +$100
> 
> 10-Jan: submit claim (invoice the customer 'MRA')
> Asset:MRA -$100
> Asset:A/Receivable +$100
> 
> 20-Jan: receive reimbursement (process payment)
> Asset:A/Receivable -$100
> Asset:Checking +$100
> 
> HTH
> 
> On 14 May 2018 at 10:07, randix <butterandsalt at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Thanks for your suggestion.
>> 
>> Unless I'm misunderstanding, what you propose would work fine if one was
>> not
>> interested in keeping track of the current balance(s) in the various MRA
>> accounts.  I need to keep track of the balances, as I need to know which
>> MRA
>> account still has credit balances to which I can submit claims.
>> 
>> So, for example, using your suggestion...
>> 
>> 1. On January 1, 2018, I'm notified that I have received $1,000 which has
>> been deposited in my XYZ MRA Account (keep in mind, these are not funds
>> that
>> have been actually sent to me, rather they have been deposited in an
>> account
>> set up in my name). I have an ASSET account in the name of XYZ MRA, so on
>> January 1, 2018, when notified of the deposit, I make a "deposit" in that
>> asset account in the amount of $1,000, and offset it with $1,000 in an
>> income account titled MRA income (so I can keep track of MRA funds that
>> have
>> been credited to me in all MRA accounts).
>> 
>> 2. On January 5, 2018, I pay out of my checking account the sum of $100.00
>> to Doctor 123, the offsetting entry is expense:health:medical
>> 
>> 3. Using your suggestion, on January 10, 2018 when I file a claim for
>> reimbursement of the $100.00, I debit the ASSET XYZ MRA account, so it now
>> has a balance of $900.00, and credit the $100.00 in my
>> expense:health:medical account.  All good.
>> 
>> 4. *The issue is what happens when I actually receive the reimbursement in
>> my checking account. *
>> 
>> 4.1 You said, "Receive reimbursement. Deposit into checking account. Debit
>> checking, credit MRA". Not exactly clear what you meant, except that I get
>> you want a credit to end up in the MRA account.  But doing so, will bring
>> the balance of the MRA account back up to $1,000 when we know there's only
>> $900 in there...if that account had a zero balance to start with, your
>> debit/credit approach would work fine. But I need to have it track the
>> balances.
>> 
>> Suggestion?  My head is starting to spin :)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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