Lawmakers can help keep Americans healthy by expanding access to dietary supplements through health savings accounts. Action Alert!
For years now, ANH-USA has supported expanding qualified HSA expenses to include dietary supplements. The current bill, S 4463, is sponsored by Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and allows Health Savings Account (HSA) funds to go toward dietary supplements without having to get a doctor’s prescription; the same would apply to Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs). The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of expanding access to supplements and natural products that can help in the fight against this virus—we must support this bill, either on its own or as part of larger COVID-19 relief efforts.
Given what we know about the virus so far, simple supplements like vitamin D, zinc, quercetin, and vitamin C can be lifesaving. We won’t solve COVID or other diseases or get healthcare costs down until the crony alliances that keep natural treatments out of the medical system are ended. As we have pointed out, even doctors are being gagged by the FTC and FDA and told they cannot tell patients about natural treatments because they are not FDA approved. The regulators know perfectly well that it is impossible to pay billions to win FDA approval for an unpatentable treatment. It is bad enough that this wink and nod system ruled before COVID, but now it is quite clear that it is killing people who could have been saved with natural treatments.
At-risk consumers should not be denied access to sound science on natural COVID treatments. And they should have the flexibility to utilize their HSA for these health products.
Let’s also keep in mind a number of advantages of HSAs. First, contributions to them are tax-deductible. Second, the interest earned on money in the account is tax-free. Third, tax-free withdrawals can be made for qualified medical expenses. HSAs are a good way to put money aside for health expenses later in life, when these costs may increase, and, best of all, may also be used for other retirement expenses.
Keep in mind that HSAs have contribution limits. In 2019, the limit for an individual account is $3,500; for a family HSA, the limit is $7,000.
Tell Congress to support this bill either on its own or as part of larger COVID-19 relief efforts.
Action Alert! Write to Congress and urge them to support S 4463. Please send your message immediately. By sending this message, you will also be supporting our petition to ungag doctors so that they can share with patients the benefits of supplements and natural treatments for Covid.
