Health Ins deducted from pension

Mar 17, 2012 3 Replies

If you pay health insurance through your pension, is that pretax...and thus not included in Medical expenses on Sch A?


The outfit issuing your pension check should be able to answer your question.

Check the amount in Box 1 of your 1099-R. If the premium has been deducted there it's pre-tax and not deductible. Otherwise it's after-tax and deductible.

Phil Marti VITA/TCE Volunteer Clarksburg, MD

there it's pre-tax and not deductible. Otherwise it's after-tax and deductible.

Nothing wrong with what you said except most of the elderly I see have no idea what Box 1 means or whether insurance premiums have been netted pre-tax. If the person tells me they pay for medical insurance, I treat the amount in Box 5 as post-tax medical just like it is on a CSA-1099R from OPM.

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