(Blogger’s note: I wrote this post in December 2008, but it’s quite applicable to the swine flu outbreak of April 2009. Therefore I’ve been sending this link around as part of my contributions to the swine flu discussions.)

I have been afflicted with the respiratory illness that’s going around Monroe, Mich.

I went to the doctor’s office yesterday, got a prescription and recommendations for over-the-counter products, and gave my co-workers a heads up. I knew I was in trouble when people could barely understand me on the phone Monday afternoon.

This morning I lost what little voice I had yesterday.

So today, I am playing couch potato. I have the laptop computer in my bedroom, the TV remote on my nightstand, and plan to sleep as much as possible.

My husband said this morning he seems to be coming down with the ailment.

It’s a good thing we don’t have any kids at home – although the college daughter who lives in a dorm already went through this situation a couple of weeks ago.

When one of us is sick, however, I don’t put frugal living techniques on the back burner. I apply them to the situation of the day. Here’s an update of a post I made about a year ago about the other out-of-pocket medical expenses to help you focus on how to keep a routine illness from blowing your budget.

Paid time off vs. unpaid time off

• The issue: Paid sick leave is a common employee benefit, but it’s not useful in all circumstances or available to all people in the workforce. Sometimes, parents must cash in vacation days instead of sick leave when children are ill. Disability leave might be an extra benefit that the employee has to pay for, or it might not cover your entire salary. And at some jobs, particularly ones that are lower-paid, part-time or arranged through “temporary contracts,” employees are paid only for the hours at work regardless of the reason!
• What to do: Make sure you understand the sick leave policies at your workplaces and how they apply to you. (After I used up vacation and sick leave days at a former employer, I got no paycheck during maternity leave because I had not been on full-time payroll long enough). You may find that one parent is the “designated” person to stay home with a sick kid because of having more available paid leave dates or friendlier rules on what it can be used for.

Free or cheap prescriptions

• The issue: Prescription out-of-pocket and co-pay expenses can add up. Some retail chains offer free or cheap prescriptions for medications that meet specific guidelines. Wal-Mart and Meijer are among the stores that do this. There are a variety of discount drug cards you might be eligible for. But it’s hard to remember these details on the occasions you can take advantage of them.
• What to do: Bookmark or print off the procedures and what medications are covered for the programs you qualify for at pharmacies near your home or doctor’s office. Then refer to those lists as needed. (This printout is a perfect addition to your health insurance files or household planner). Now, it makes good sense to combine other shopping errands with a pharmacy stop, but pay attention to prices so you don’t spend more than you normally would. There are also good reasons to have as many family medications as possible issued through one pharmacy. Make sure the pharmacy you choose works out for you on a regular basis.

Over the counter medical expenses

• The issue: Not everything you need from the drug store will be covered on a prescription plan or a retailer’s promotion. The cost of over-the-counter pain relievers, health supplements, vitamins, cold and cough medicines do add up.
• What to do: Stock up on OTC products commonly used by your family when they are on sale, two-for-one promotions and / or have coupons in circulation. My health insurance company also recently issued a discount card that is good for certain OTC products. And if you have a Flexible Spending Account for medical expenses, review the list of which OTC products are eligible for reimbursements and handle your account accordingly. The goal is to buy your favorite medications as inexpensively as possible.

Filing for Flexible Spending Account

• The issue: There are tax advantages to using a Flexible Spending Account for out-of-pocket medical expenses, if you have access to such a plan. The problem is you’ve got more forms to file, mail or fax and health care receipts to photocopy. And it can be crazy keeping track of what’s an eligible expense.
• What to do: Print off or keep a list of the FSA eligible expenses to keep with your health insurance files or your household binder. You also want to closely watch your grocery store and pharmacy receipts because some stores mark on their cash register slips which products you purchased that are FSA-eligible. Always keep at least one, if not two, blank FSA forms and envelopes at home. Then as soon as you have enough out-of-pocket expenses to meet the minimum filing, get that paperwork sent off. Be sure to save on postage or faxing fees by bundling as many expenses as possible on one claim form. But you don’t want to wait so long to file a claim that you’ve lost the required receipts!

Groceries

• The issue: Depending on the illness du jour and who’s affected, you could be eating through a lot more than usual on foods such as chicken soup, orange juice, applesauce, crackers, soft drinks, tea, coffee, frozen dinners, delivery pizza, take-out or deli purchases, popsicles or ice cream … regardless of whatever groceries you had purchased for the week.
• What to do: Don’t spend more than you need to on the additional groceries. Put your coupon box, grocery discount cards and an emergency shopping list in the car as you pack up for the doctor’s office. When someone is sick, the next stop after the doctor’s office is usually to the pharmacy to get a prescription filled or pick up over-the counter remedies. So while the pharmacy staff is filling your prescription, spend that time in the grocery aisles or drive to the nearest supermarket to get as many of those emergency groceries as possible. Then come back to the pharmacy, get your prescription and go home.

Cleaning supplies

• The issue: Kids + stomach virus = more frequent use of disinfectant spray and laundry soap. Need I explain?
• What to do: If you have to buy cleaning supplies at a grocery or pharmacy because you are on a time crunch, take your coupon box and grab the sales fliers at the store entrance so you can match up any bargains. I’ve also found some generic, homemade or private-label cleaning products work pretty well.