The IRS has broadly defined "Medical expenses are the costs of diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, and the costs for treatments affecting any part or function of the body. They include the costs of equipment, supplies, and diagnostic devices needed for these purposes. They also include dental expenses."

The IRS expanded the definition of Medical Expenses to include "Medical care expenses primarily to alleviate or prevent a physical or mental defect or illness."

Obviously, the IRS did not want to include expenses that are "merely beneficial to general health, such as vitamins and tonic water."

The IRS further considers Medical expenses as including "the premiums you pay for insurance that covers the expenses of medical care, and the amounts you pay for transportation to get medical care."

Medical expenses also include amounts paid for qualified long-term care services and limited amounts paid for any qualified long-term care insurance contract.

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