{"id":10155,"date":"2020-04-07T09:00:37","date_gmt":"2020-04-07T13:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=10155"},"modified":"2026-03-25T19:29:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T23:29:08","slug":"medical-expense-deduction-tax","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/medical-expense-deduction-tax\/","title":{"rendered":"Tax Day is coming: The health expenses you may be able to deduct"},"content":{"rendered":"

Certain medical expenses could help you get a tax refund. If you\u2019re in the process of gathering up all of your receipts to share with the accountant (or for a date with your favorite tax preparation software), do yourself a favor and add all those prescription, eye glasses, and hospital expenses to the pile. For some taxpayers, medical and healthcare-related expenses might be tax deductible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a few calculations you (and, ideally, your accountant) will need to make to see if you qualify, but it could be worth your time in order to keep more dollars in your pocket and fork over fewer to Uncle Sam.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what you need to know about medical expense deductions that can lower your tax bill.<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking the standard deduction versus itemizing<\/span><\/h2>\n

First and foremost, for the typical W2-earner (<\/span>if you\u2019re self-employed<\/span><\/a>, skip to the bottom) you can really only deduct medical expenses if you\u2019re filing an itemized return, rather than taking the standard deduction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Each taxpayer is afforded a $$15,750 standard deduction (for married joint-filers, that number is $31,500) for the 2025 tax year. This means that your itemized deductions need to exceed $15,750 if you\u2019re a single filer (or $31,500 for a joint-filer) for it to make financial sense to itemize. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we usually do is add up charitable contributions, mortgage interest, real estate taxes, and medical, and if that\u2019s more than the number, we itemize,\u201d explains <\/span>Wanda Talley Schebel<\/span><\/a>, CPA, PA, an Orlando-based accountant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If itemizing your deduction is the better option, you\u2019ll need to clear one more hurdle in order to deduct your medical expenses: They have to exceed 7.5% of your <\/span>adjusted gross income<\/span><\/a> (AGI) for 2025. Your AGI is your gross income minus certain expenses, such as student loan interest and contributions to your retirement account. That means you are allowed to deduct any unreimbursed medical expenses over that amount. (And that 7.5% remains the same if you\u2019re filing jointly or have dependents.) For example, a married couple with adjusted gross income of $89,000 would need to have more than $6,675 of qualified medical expenses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If that sounds like a kind of high number, well, it is. For Los Angeles-based tax practitioner <\/span>Milton Rodriguez<\/span><\/a>, CFP, EA, most of his clients who are able to take this deduction are often older (and hence have more medical expenses), make large charitable gifts, have a larger mortgage payment, or have had a major medical incident (such as a surgery).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, if you\u2019ve met all of these qualifications, you can confidently deduct those medical expenses.<\/span><\/p>\n

What qualifies as a deductible medical expense?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Generally speaking, any unreimbursed medications or therapies that have been prescribed by a doctor should be tax deductible, says Schebel. Medical expense deductions typically include:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Copays<\/span><\/a> and any other unreimbursed payments made to a medical professional (including doctors, dentists, surgeons, chiropractors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and nontraditional medical practitioners)<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Health insurance premiums<\/span><\/a> (The key is that they cannot be made with pre-tax dollars. So if your premiums are paid through a payroll deduction by your company, they probably don\u2019t qualify. Check with your tax pro on health insurance deductions to confirm.)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Prescription medication<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Insulin<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Certain medical supplies<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Eyeglasses and contact lenses<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Dental expenses (non-cosmetic)<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Orthodontia<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Surgeries and medical procedures<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. Alcohol<\/span><\/a> or drug rehabilitation programs<\/span><\/li>\n
  11. Mileage (21 cents per mile) or actual travel costs such as taxi, Uber, bus, or train ride for trips to the doctor or pharmacy and any parking expenses while there.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If your employment, or financial situation, has recently changed you may be closer to the 7.5% cutoff than you were in previous years. Discuss with your tax professional to see if you can claim these, and other deductions for working from home, starting a new business, or net operating losses if you\u2019re a business owner.<\/span><\/p>\n

    What does not qualify as a deductible medical expense?<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Although health-related, these expenditures typically can\u2019t be deducted:<\/span><\/p>\n