Simple Solutions to Contain COVID Costs

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.

11 comments

  1. Adele Davis, a nutritionist, wrote many books on good nutrition back in the day when she was called a “health nut.”
    She suggested the reason Norway (or one of those northern countries) fed their children a high protein snack in the morning to boost their brain-power and keep their moods more mellow.
    I thought it made a lot of sense.
    This group wants the same thing–good nutrition to stave off the germs that make us sick. This is a good philosophy–germs can’t grow in the “wrong soil.” Given what we know about the virus so far, simple supplements like vitamin D, zinc, quercetin, and vitamin C can be lifesaving.
    Please consider this. 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.
    Please support this bill either on its own or as part of larger COVID-19 relief efforts.

  2. As a self-employed small business owner and consumer with terrible (but costly) private insurance, I rely on more holistic options to stay healthy and avoid becoming ill. It’s very important to me to be able to access safe and affordable supplements and herbal preparations. Make health care affordable and accessible for all Americans.

  3. Please support S4463 because it will be helpful to my family and many others who use supplements and natural treatments that build our immune system to help ward off viruses and bacteria. We have found them to be very helpful.

  4. Thank you Sen. Kevin Cramer for sponsoring this bill. Please keep it simple and pure. Don’t let anyone add anything to this bill that is not directly related to or complimenting the quality of the bill.

  5. we need to allow HSA to include natural supplements, especially when governors are blocking our access to medicine for things like covid. Bill S 4463 Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

  6. Natural remedies have gotten me through this Crisis.
    And they are Safer than most Drugs. They Must remain available,
    Regardless of what company could profit from their Suppression!

  7. I DEMAND that Congress S 4463. We must ungag doctors so that they can share with patients the benefits of supplements and natural treatments for Covid.

  8. I urge our Senators and Representatives to support bill S 4463, for the sake of all citizens in the United States of America and to ungag doctors so that they can share with patients the benefits of supplements and natural treatments for Covid.

  9. I agree wholly that supplementing with the correct vitamins is what we need to ward off any disease and keep our immune system strong. I am in my 80’s and that is what I do. I am healthy and doing whatever I choose to do. I am active as a dancer, bowler, and golf, plus doing all my own house work.
    my supplements come from Life Extension for the last 20 years. I do not believe in artificial medicines.
    My father said if your immune system was strong, you did not need flu shot or any other preventive shot. If your
    immune system was weak and you had a shot it could kill you. I believe that, because my father was talked into having a flue shot after having a heart attack and he did nearly die. There is some kind of natural herb or plant that will take care of about anything we might have. Good food, plenty of rest and exercise will do wonderous.

  10. I can’t send this email. The send page keeps asking for the addresses of the recipients. Don’t they know it? And the “captcha” has bold letters, but there is no option for bold print.

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