Natural Products Insider is part of Informa PLC's Informa marketing department

This website is operated by one or more companies owned by Informa PLC, and all copyrights belong to them. The registered office of Informa PLC is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

View all product development »

View all business operations »

View all healthy living »

View all media assets »

A bill introduced in Congress on Wednesday would amend the Internal Revenue Code to include certain over-the-counter dietary supplements as eligible medical expenses.

Representatives Brendan Boyle (D-Penn.) and Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) introduced the Dietary Supplement Tax Equity Act, which will grant Americans reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses from their health savings and flexible spending accounts. The cost of rights supplements. This change will also apply to health reimbursement arrangements (HRA).

Related: Supplements that meet HSA requirements, federal assistance programs required by legislation

Boyle said in a press release announcing the bill: "The recent global health pandemic taught us the importance of maintaining a nutritious diet to stay healthy." "More than 22 million Americans have chosen to join a health savings account and consumers directly Health plans. Given this significant growth, actions should be taken to better meet consumer needs. Since HSA, FSA, and HRA require prescriptions to reimburse vitamins, it makes sense to remove the barriers to supplementing nutritionally deficient diets. Our bill A step in this direction."

The Natural Products Association (NPA) welcomes this legislation, which reflects a supporting bill introduced in the Senate by Senator Kevin Kramer (RN.D.) earlier this year.

NPA President and CEO Dan Fabricant said at a press conference: “As we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, this common-sense solution will help keep Americans safe. healthy."

Kyle Turk, NPA's director of government affairs, said that "Boyle and Lahoud are in a good position to pass Congress to push this bill" because they belong to the House Ways and Means Committee. The Fundraising Committee is the main tax writing committee of the US Congress. House of Representatives. 

NPA added that its board of directors recently wrote to four other industry trade associations calling on the House of Representatives and Senate to support these bills. 

Fabricant said: "In order to continue this huge momentum, it is important for the industry to work together to support these bills." "As supporting legislation for the sponsors of the relevant committees, these two bills represent our best opportunity to expand access to supplements."

Another similar bill is also pending in the House of Representatives. In September, Representatives John Curtis (Utah Republican Party) and Josh Gottheimer (DN.J.) introduced a bill that would allow spending from health savings accounts as well as flexible spending on dietary supplements and health reimbursement arrangements.

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) vice president of federal government affairs Marc Schloss (Marc Schloss) stated that his organization supports “legislation that allows consumers to use pre-tax FSA/HSA accounts to save on the cost of purchasing dietary supplements. To support their health". healthy. "

"This is why we support HR 5214, sponsored by Rep. Curtis and Gottheimer," he said in an emailed statement. "We are very pleased to see the increased momentum and interest in the bipartisan cooperation of Ways and Means members on this issue. CHPA has extensive experience in FSA/HSA qualifications for personal healthcare products, and we look forward to further discussions with members and employees. "

The President of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), Michael McGuffin, stated that the legislation proposed by Boyle and LaHood is only the latest bill introduced in the past few years, which lists supplements as compliant Medical expenses under HSA and FSA. Since at least 2011, every bill has been approved.

"Americans should have access to dietary supplements at any time, whether they are purchased directly or through their FSA and HSA," McGoffin said via email. "We appreciate and support the latest efforts on behalf of Boyle and Lahoud to advance this rational and appropriate amendment to support Americans' healthcare choices."

More information about text format