Fw: Tax Fairness for Dietary Supplements - please forward

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----- Original Message -----

From: " Citizens for Health Action Network " <info@...>

" Bayuk " <tbayuk@...>

Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 4:31 PM

Subject: Tax Fairness for Dietary Supplements - please forward

Dear ,

Thank you for taking the time to contact your representative to tell them

how important it is to you for them to support H.R. 2627, The Dietary

Supplement Tax Fairness Act.

Please forward this letter to as many people as you can. It is no secret

that the pharmaceutical industry and conventional medical establishment

spend millions and employ hundreds of lobbyists to make their case on the

Hill. We do not need to compete dollar for dollar with these industries

because we have millions of consumers on our side. But we do need your

help. We need to be heard! Take a minute today and forward this letter to

everyone in your address book. This is how we will create the powerful

consumer voice necessary to impact Congress!

Take Action!

Urge Your Members of Congress to Support Important Legislation that Provides

Fair Tax Treatment for Dietary Supplements!

http://www.healthactioncenter.com/action/index.asp?step=2 & item=21299

Contact your Representatives today and encourage them to co-sponsor the

bi-partisan bill H.R. 2627, the Dietary Supplement Tax Fairness Act. Click

here to send a letter to your Members of Congress. It only takes one

minute! http://www.healthactioncenter.com

This important legislation will allow you to include dietary supplements as

valid health expenses on your taxes and through the pre-tax flexible medical

spending accounts and health savings accounts you fund. This will save you

hundreds of dollars each year when you purchase health promoting dietary

supplements. Take action today!

http://www.healthactioncenter.com/action/index.asp?step=2 & item=21299

Currently, prescription and over-the-counter drugs and costly conventional

medical practices are the only choices you can currently cover with your

tax-free health dollars.

This is unfairly costing consumers millions of dollars.

25 billion dollars are already put aside each year in health and medical

savings accounts. This money is saved by individuals and it is these

individuals, not the government, who should determine the best health

choices for them and their families.

Just imagine the financial and overall health benefits if you and others are

allowed to fund the choices, like dietary supplements, that bring and

maintain your health.

All we need to do to create this change is pass the Dietary Supplement Tax

Fairness legislation introduced in Congress. This bill simply adds dietary

supplements to the list of products and services considered valid health

expenses in the IRS tax code.

Over 158 million of us - over half of the entire U.S. population- make

healthy " alternative " choices everyday; like taking vitamins, herbs or

supplements, eating organic food, visiting a chiropractor to ease back pain

or taking a yoga class to relieve stress. Collectively, we spend over $40

billion each year on treatment and prevention that is often not covered by

insurance or tax-free health spending accounts.

This groundbreaking legislation will help you afford many natural, less

expensive, and effective healthcare options you currently have to pay for

out-of-pocket and without the tax benefits awarded to the conventional and

pharmaceutical products.

TAKE ACTION!

http://www.healthactioncenter.com/action/index.asp?step=2 & item=21299

Send a letter to your Representative and ask that they support H.R. 2627,

the Dietary Supplement Tax Fairness Act. Send your message today. It only

takes a minute!

Your message below was sent to:

Representative Porter J. Goss

Representative Porter J. Goss

108 Cannon HOB

Washington, DC 20515-0914

Dear Representative Goss,

I strongly urge you to support H.R. 2627, the bi-partisan Dietary Supplement

Tax Fairness Act. I use dietary supplements daily to achieve and maintain

better health. I am just one person among millions of Americans who use

dietary supplements as part of a healthy lifestyle. In fact, today over 158

million Americans benefit from natural health approaches that include herbs

and dietary supplements, and extensive science highlights their health

benefits.

Like most Americans, I am finding the rising cost of healthcare very

difficult to keep up with financially. Being pro-active and taking a

participatory approach to my health by using dietary supplements is vitally

important to me. Unfortunately, the effective health choices that I and

millions of Americans make are not treated fairly by Congress.

Today, strong, mainstream research is continuing to emerge to validate the

important positive impact dietary supplements are having on Americans'

overall health, while lowering healthcare costs and maintaining the

strongest safety record of any regulated category. I am part of growing

segment of society that spends billions of dollars each year on dietary

supplements and other natural preventive healthcare measures. That is why I

am very excited to learn about the bi-partisan bill H.R. 2627, the Dietary

Supplement Tax Fairness Act. This legislation would amend the Internal

Revenue Code from 1986 to provide that monetary amounts paid for dietary

supplements, foods for special dietary use or medical foods shall be treated

as medical expenses. This legislation would help consumers afford many

natural, less expensive, healthcare options, not just the conventional and

pharmaceutical options that are covered by the existing tax code.

With rising healthcare costs and increased diagnosis of chronic disease,

Congress should support all measures that protect our health and our pocket

books. This bill is just the type of support we need. Please take an

important step in helping to reduce healthcare costs and support a more

integrative approach to the health of our nation by co-sponsoring H.R. 2627,

the Dietary Supplement Tax Fairness Act.

Sincerely,

Bayuk

19868 Cypress Wood Ct

North Fort Myers, FL 33903-9057

USA

tbayuk@...