AHPA joined the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the Natural Products Association, and the United Natural Products Alliance to express support for the recently introduced Health Care Savings Act (S. 2499 and H.R. 4469) and urge quick passage of the bill.

The legislation would incentivize healthy behaviors and consumer choice by allowing dietary supplement expenditures to be reimbursed through flexible spending accounts such as Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).

"AHPA encourages members to review this legislation and urge their Senators and House Representatives to support passage of this bill to make health savings accounts and healthcare flexible spending accounts more consumer-friendly," AHPA President Michael McGuffin said. "The legislation is an effective way to help Americans lead healthier lives."

In letters to Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN),AHPA and the above mentioned associations stress that more than 150 million U.S. consumers use dietary supplements each year and research shows that consumers who take dietary supplements are also likely to engage in other health-promoting activities.

Another provision in the bill would restore HSA and FSA coverage for over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, including homeopathic medicines. The Hatch-Paulsen legislation also makes qualifying meal replacement products eligible for HSA and FSA coverage.