@kklingeisen - You misunderstood. You can deduct medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your AGI. For example if your AGI is $17,000 the 7.5% is $5,250 so if you have $12,000 of medical expenses only $6,750 would be a deduction. That plus all other deductions must exceed the standard deduction for there to be any benefit.
Since the 2018 standard deduction has increased, very few taxpayers will have any advantage in itemizing.
**Disclaimer: This post is for discussion purposes only and is NOT tax advice. The author takes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information in this post.**
