[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 2 (Friday, January 5, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E25]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E25]]
        INTRODUCTION OF THE PERSONAL HEALTH INVESTMENT TODAY ACT

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                           HON. JERRY WELLER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 5, 2007

  Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, as we move through the 21st 
Century, we are constantly facing new challenges to our public welfare 
that we had not previously seen.
  A more recent challenge that has surfaced is the relative epidemic of 
obesity, and the onset of disease and health care difficulties 
resulting from lack of a healthy lifestyle.
  I think that many agree with me that a key component of living a 
healthy productive life is found through regular exercise and the 
benefits that it brings.
  The Department of Health and Human Services predicts that spending on 
healthcare will consume 20 percent of the nation's gross domestic 
product by 2015 if current trends hold true.
  At this rate of growth, America is on track to spend roughly $4 
trillion on healthcare within the next ten years. This level of 
spending for medical treatment is unsustainable and can only be curbed 
through efforts to prevent disease before treatment is necessary.
  Given the healthcare crisis we are facing in this country today, I 
strongly believe that creative solutions are necessary to improve the 
nation's fitness levels.
  This need for creative solutions is why I am reintroducing the The 
Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Bill, (RR. 5479 in the 109th 
Congress).
  This bill allows for expenditures for exercise and physical activity, 
such as health club memberships, some exercise equipment, and sports 
programs, to be payable out of various tax-favored investment accounts: 
flexible spending accounts (FSAs), health savings accounts (HSAs), 
medical savings accounts (MSAs) and/or medical reimbursement 
arrangements, up to $1,000.
  If enacted, PHIT would give parents the opportunity to pay for their 
children's soccer league fees out of their HSAs. They could join a 
fitness center and pay for the membership fees with pretax dollars or 
they could purchase a home gym to help them fight the onset of obesity, 
a primary risk factor for developing anyone of several chronic diseases 
which are currently fueling the frightening increase in our national 
healthcare expenditure.
  Depending upon a consumer's individual income tax bracket, the PHIT 
initiative could help Americans save 25-30 percent on their exercise 
costs.
  Health experts agree that regular physical activity substantially 
reduces the risk and symptoms of numerous diseases and medical 
conditions and is associated with fewer hospitalizations, physicians' 
visits, and medications, resulting in lower healthcare costs.
  The PHIT tax incentive represents an important step to induce more 
people to get the levels of exercise they need to improve their level 
of fitness and help lower healthcare costs for all Americans, which is 
why I am proud to reintroduce this bill.

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