The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) issued the following statement from Scott Melville, president and CEO, upon the introduction of H.R. 5214, the Dietary Supplements Access Act, by Representatives John Curtis (R-UT) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ).
“CHPA applauds Representatives Curtis and Gottheimer for introducing bipartisan legislation that would make dietary supplements eligible expenses under tax-preferred flexible spending arrangements (FSA) or health savings accounts (HSA). Estimates show that around 60 million consumers already utilize FSAs and HSAs to save money on eligible healthcare expenses, including OTC medicines and feminine hygiene products. As consumers are increasingly turning to dietary supplements to support their overall health and wellness, expanding FSA/HSA eligibility to include dietary supplements is an efficient way to help consumers with their health and wellness expenses.
“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers were becoming increasingly health conscious and began adopting a more proactive approach to prevention and wellness. In fact, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports nearly 60 percent of Americans take dietary supplements each month. Extending FSA/HSA eligibility to dietary supplements would save consumers money on the products that many are already purchasing to meet their healthcare needs and help promote smart self-care behavior.
“CHPA has long-advocated for the expansion of FSA/HSA eligibility to include more personal healthcare products. Last year, a new law was signed reinstating FSA/HSA eligibility for over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and, for the first time, feminine care products. There is clear momentum to help consumers with their self-care expenses by expanding eligibility in tax-preferred healthcare accounts, and we hope Congress extends this to dietary supplements as well.”
