Allow Deductions for Dietary Supplements-contact congress

[Guest guest]

July 5, 2011

Dear Citizen for Health,

A bill was introduced at the end of May that would expand the IRS code to

include herbs, vitamins, minerals, homeopathic remedies, meal replacement

products, and other dietary and nutritional supplements as “eligible medical

expenses†- a move that is long overdue.

On May 26th Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Rep. sen (R-MN)

introduced the Retirement Health Investment Act of 2011, (S.1098/H.R. 2010).

The

House version has already garnered 32 cosponsors and both bills are being

reviewed in committee.

_Urge your Senators and Representative to cosponsor this bill now!_

(http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2 & c=lfMEKbxpyODuMEPle18G/X9C\

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If you follow health care policy in the news then you already know that

there are two health savings programs that help pay for complementary and

alternative medical (CAM) treatments normally not covered by regular

insurance. These are Flexible Spending Arrangements (FSAs) and Health Savings

Accounts (HSAs). Currently CAM treatments are not considered eligible to be

covered by HSAs.

Citizens for Health (CFH) supports the bill as a critical step in the

direction of parity for CAM treatments. However, we agree with the Alliance for

Natural Health in its call for the bill's language to be amended. It must

address that part of the healthcare reform act that threatens the very

existence of HSAs.

HSAs are savings accounts exempt from federal income tax at the time of

deposit. Each year any unspent funds accumulate and " roll over " to the

following year. To make use of HSAs one must be covered under a high-deductible

insurance plan - but starting in 2014 the healthcare reform act will allow

high-deductible or catastrophic healthcare insurance plans for people only

under the age of 30.

This means that beginning in 2014, people over the age of 30 will not be

able to purchase an HSA because they will not be eligible for catastrophic

plans—making the critical addition of CAM treatments to eligible expenses

irrelevant to them.

_Read more, and contact your Senators and Representative now!_

(http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2 & c=V+nntLrBo2Oi/30aD/FlG39C\

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)

Thank you for your participation,

The Citizens for Health Team

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