I am itemizing my tax return. Which medical expenses can I deduct?

Answer

When itemizing your medical expenses, the medical expenses you can deduct include:

For the treatment of a disease:

If one of those applies, you can also include the associated costs for:

The expenses must be primarily to improve or prevent a physical or mental deficiency or illness.

Deductible medical expenses include:

Acupuncture
Alcoholism treatment
Ambulance service
Annual physicals
Bandages
Birth control
Body scan
Braces
Braille books and magazines for the visually impaired
Breast pumps and supplies
Chiropractic care
Christian Science practitioner care
Contact lenses and the supplies required to maintain them
Necessary dental treatment (doesn’t include whitening)
Diagnostic devices (Ex: blood sugar test kit for a diabetic)
Drug addiction treatment
Prescribed medications
Eye doctor
Eye glasses
Eye surgery
Fertility enhancement
Guide dog or other service animal
Hearing aids
Home care
Insulin
Insurance premiums
Lab fees
Lead-based paint removal (not repainting)
Certain Medicare A, B, and, D
Nursing home or services
Oxygen
Physical or occupational therapy
Prosthesis
Psychiatric care
Psychologist
Sex-reassignment surgery and related hormone therapy for the treatment of gender-identity disorder disease
Sterilization
Smoking cessation programs except over-the-counter nicotine gums and patches
Surgery
Transplants
Transportation to obtain medical care
X-rays

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