Medical?

[Mark Goldberg]

My 80 year old client has to pay $300 twice a year for a hospital administered test. The state requires this test in order for her to keep her drivers license. Is this a medical expense?

[rfk]

Mark,

Medical expenses defined:

Include amounts paid for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease or for the purpose of affecting any structure or function of the body

[Unregistered]

My 80 year old client has to pay $300 twice a year for a hospital administered test. The state requires this test in order for her to keep her drivers license. Is this a medical expense?

I don't see this as being any different from an appointment with the eye doctor. In fact that's exactly what it is.

If I go to the doctor for a physical, and he tells me I'm in good shape, does that mean the appointment's not deductible? If I decide to have a physical every six months, and the doctor tells me I'm fine every time, does that mean it's not deductible?

I don't think the reason you go for a diagnosis will disqualify the deduction. If I want to apply to astronaut school and a physical exam is required to meet a certain standard of health, that doesn't mean it's not deductible.

[Koss]

Agree

The purpose of the exam is to diagnose certain conditions that might disqualify the person from holding a driver's license. As the previous post noted, if no diagnosis is made, I don't think that undermines the original purpose.

Burton