Good news!

Last fall, when we were going through open enrollment for insurance (through work) for the 2009 calendar year, we decided to put about $500 of pre-tax income into a medical flex spending account (FSA). We estimated it based on the cost of our regular (recurring) monthly prescription co-pays and over-the-counter medicines, doctor/dentist/optometrist co-pays, plus a little bit extra to cover any additional expenses. 

We haven't had any visits to urgent care or the emergency room this year, but we did get stuck with almost $400 worth of physical therapy co-pays that we weren't expecting at the time we signed up for insurance & the FSA. 

It turns out that the information we initially received about the various insurance plans had indicated that physical therapy was supposed to be completely covered - with no copay. When we inquired about it, they found out pretty quickly that it was an error on the employer's informational packets. After months of back & forth on what could be done, they finally told us that they would deposit an extra $375 into our FSA to cover the error.  

We still owe $270 (it hasn't been billed yet, but we know it's coming), so this will cover that and also reimburse us for what we've already paid. 

Since FSA's are a "use it or lose it" account, we'll have to pay careful attention to the balance to make sure that we maximize every cent! We still have several prescriptions and over-the-counter medications to buy to cover us for the next few months, but I think we'll end up with $50-100 left... so I think one of us will be able to get a new set of glasses at Christmas!  :)