As Congress and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) consider relaxing rules and expanding coverage under Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) during the COVID-19 crisis, the Natural Products Association (NPA) called for allowing nutritional and dietary supplements to be included.  
 
“Giving people more ways to save money to support their health is more important than ever,” said Daniel Fabricant, PhD, president and CEO of NPA. “This simple change promotes the proactive, preventive approach that we need to support if we wish to improve Americans’ health and healthcare costs.”
 
Recent changes related to the COVID-19 health crisis means that access to healthy products is becoming increasingly important:
 

• Vitamin D deficiency weakens the immune system and could lead to an increased risk of complications related to coronavirus, NPA said.
• Millions of Americans that have been ordered to stay home and practice social distancing are exercising less, eating more food, and eating less nutritious food. 
• Alcohol sales are up 55%, with sales jumping 75% for spirits, 66% for wine, and 42% for beer.

 
Proper nutrition is a cornerstone of a “health-first” strategy. But, most Americans, and particularly lower income Americans, aren’t getting it. According to available data:
 

• More than 23 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, live in food deserts—areas that are more than a mile away from a supermarket.
• In 2008, an estimated 49.1 million people, including 16.7 million children, experienced food insecurity (limited availability to safe and nutritionally adequate foods) multiple times throughout the year.

 
Millions of Americans are not getting enough nutrients:
 

• 95% of adults and 98% of teens have an inadequate vitamin D intake.
• 61% of adults and 90% of teens don’t get enough magnesium.
• Nearly one-third (31%) of the U.S. population is at risk for at least one vitamin deficiency or anemia.
• 23%, 6.3%, and 1.7% of Americans are at risk of anemia or deficiency of one, two, or three to five vitamins, respectively.
• 1% of American adults have an insufficient vitamin A intake.
• 32% have an insufficient vitamin B6 intake.
• 1% are not getting enough vitamin B12.
• 3% have an inadequate intake of folate.
• 1% have an insufficient intake of vitamin C.
• 4% are not getting enough vitamin E.
• 3% have an inadequate iron intake.