Cannon's bill about pills

Third District Congressman Chris Cannon is pushing new legislation that could help Utah's dietary supplement industry and give consumers more control over health savings accounts.

Under Cannon's bill, money from health savings accounts, or HSAs, could be spent on dietary supplements or meal replacement products, including those made by Utah-based companies such as Nu Skin, Nature's Sunshine and Neways.

"It's a huge industry in Utah," Cannon, R-Utah, said Monday from Neways' Springville headquarters. "One-third of the whole industry is located in Utah or has facilities in Utah."

HSAs, created in the 2003 Medicare legislation, allow workers to put pre-tax income into private accounts that can be used to pay for health care. HSAs are tax deductible and can be transferred when an individual changes jobs.

Currently HSAs cannot be used to buy nutritional supplements.

"The problem with our health-care system is that it's left up to insurance companies and not doctors," says Stephen Neeleman, a Tucson-based doctor and co-author of "The Complete HSA Guidebook." "I think HSAs should be available for anything that's deemed healthy by the medical community."

Under Cannon's plan, dietary supplements and meal replacement products must have a health claim permitted by the FDA to qualify for an HSA expenditure.

Meal replacement products must be low in fat and provide a good source of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

"It's a minor adjustment in a law that already exists," Cannon said. "It's about giving consumers more choice."

It's not the first time a Utah lawmaker has sponsored legislation that helps the supplement industry. In 1994, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, backed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act.

Under that law, the makers of supplements do not have to prove their products are safe or report adverse reaction, requirements drug companies must meet.

Earlier this year, the Institute of Medicine called for tougher regulations on supplements to make sure they are safe and do what they claim. Utah companies, such as Nu Skin and Neways, say the current laws are sufficient if enforced properly.

The supplement industry is one of the state's largest employers and brings in an estimated $2.5 billion a year. Last year Nu Skin — which sells nutritional supplements as well as soaps, lotions, shampoos and other products — pumped about $200 million into Utah's economy.

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