Curious About Prescriptions For Over-The-Counter Medication
BOSTON (CBS) – There are some over-the-counter medication that require you to get a prescription for now.
Sandy in Charlton Declared her Curiosity, asking, "Why do I now have to get a doctor to write a prescription for my aspirin and cold medicine in order to use my flexible spending account to pay for it?"
It's part of the health care reform law Congress passed and President Obama signed in 2010.
Flexible spending accounts let people contribute money from their paychecks, before taxes, to cover expenses that insurance does not.
But, you have to use that money by the end of the year or lose it, so in the past, people would stock up on common items like aspirin and cold medicine. That's not an option anymore, unless you have a prescription.
So why did they change it? The government is hoping to make some extra money from taxes to help pay for other reforms in the health care bill.
