[GNC] Tracking Reimbursable Medical Expenses

Stephen M. Butler kg7je at arrl.net
Fri Jan 4 17:25:55 EST 2019


On 1/4/19 10:59 AM, Aaron Laws wrote:
> I have a Health Savings Account in the United States as part of a
> high-deductible health insurance plan. It is an Asset account that holds my
> income tax-deductible money for use on medical expenses only. Every so
> often money is put into it:
>
> Assets:HSA                        $10
>         Revenue:Employer               $10
>
> When I incur a medical expense, I use my personal credit card to pay for it:
>
> Expenses:Medical             $5
>         Liability:Credit Card             $5
>
> After a while, I reimburse myself for the medical expenses that have
> accumulated to date:
>
> Assets:Chequing         $5
>          Assets:HSA                     $5
>
> The trouble with this is it doesn't track the current amount of unpaid
> claims. Is there a way to work in an Assets:Accounts Receivable:Outstanding
> Medical Reimbursements or something like that? I would appreciate any
> feedback about how to deal with this situation. Thank you!
>
> In Christ,
> Aaron Laws

At my previous employment (prior to retirement) the HSA account came
with a charge card (used like a credit card) so the charges went
directly against the HSA account.  Made tracking very simple and didn't
have to send in reimbursement forms.  I presume that isn't the case with
your employer's HSA processor.

I might be tempted to get a second credit card to use only for the
medical items and pay that with reimbursement from the HSA. That way the
balance on that card is what is still outstanding.

Thinking further.  If I as an employee charge something to my credit
card that I will get reimbursed from my employer then things get trickier:

1.  I charge the item and enter a transaction between Liability:CC and
Expense:whatever.

2.  I eventually (monthly) pay off the credit card from checking
(Assets:Checking and Liability:CC).

3.  Somewhere in there I fill out an expense statement and send it in. 
That expense is no longer mine so I need to transfer it out of my
expenses.  Assets:Reimbursement:MyEmployer and Expense:whatever
(offsetting item #1)

4.  Finally I get paid and deposit the funds into my checking account. 
Assets:Checking and Assets:Reimbursement:MyEmployer

In this case the HSA replaces the Employer.  And here you are acting on
both sides.  So, to continue:

5.  Employer (HSA) gets the reimbursement request and sends out the
funds.  (HSA:Expense:Medical and Assets:HSA).

I really like the idea of a second CC and it gets paid only when
reimbursed by the HSA (simplifies the accounts).

--Steve

-- 
Stephen M Butler, PMP, PSM
Stephen.M.Butler51 at gmail.com
kg7je at arrl.net
253-350-0166
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