What is the medical and dental expenses deduction?

What is the medical and dental expenses deduction? This deduction allows you to deduct a percentage of your qualified medical and dental expenses. Qualified medical and dental expenses include the cost of diagnosis or treatment to cure, improve or prevent a physical or mental illness or defect. They include costs such as:

• Payments to or payments for services to doctors or dentists
• Hospital fees
• Some insurance premiums (including Medicare)
• Prescription medications
• Medical equipment and supplies
• Miles driven with your car for medical purposes

Note: If you are self-employed and pay health insurance premiums, you can usually deduct 100% of the cost of these premiums for yourself, your spouse and your dependents. We’ll ask you about these premiums in the Wages & Income (“Income & Expenses” if you are using TurboTax Self-Employed) section under Business Items.

If you pay for long-term health care insurance premiums, these may also be deductible. Enter the amount paid on the Enter Insurance Premiums screen in this section and we’ll see if you qualify.

Qualified medical expenses do not include expenses that are simply related to improving general health, including:

• Vitamins
• Non-prescription drugs
• Cosmetic surgery (some exceptions apply)

To learn more about what can and can’t be included, see IRS – Medical Expense Deductions

For a complete explanation of medical and dental expenses from the IRS, see IRS Publication 502

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