The dangers of cigarette smoking have been well-known for decades. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists tobacco use as the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, citing uncomfortable statistics such as smoking being responsible for around one in five deaths every year, and the life expectancy of a smoker being at least 10 years shorter than a non-smoker.

Despite knowing that cigarette smoking has the potential to cause death by way of cancer and various respiratory and vascular diseases, around 40 million adults in the US still indulge in a puff. However, if you knew smoking could result in spending the rest of your life with permanent blindness, would you still be so quick to flick open that lighter?

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An HSA, or health savings account, and a FSA, or flexible spending arrangement, are both accounts that allow people with health insurance plans to put away income for medical costs. Medical costs, also referred to as qualified expenses, include co-pays, deductibles and monthly prescription costs.

A primary benefit to HSA’s and FSA’s are that they are TAX FREE!
A primary difference is that HSA’s allow you to roll over unused contributions to next year while FSA’s are “use it or lose it.”

If you have a flexible spending arrangement account (FSA) with an unused balance and require laser vision correction or suffer with Pterygium, schedule an appointment with Dr. Michel before the end of the year.

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