Washington, D.C.—The Natural Products Association (NPA) called for allowing nutritional and dietary supplements to be covered under Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) as Congress and the IRS consider relaxing rules and expanding coverage during the pandemic, according to a press release.

Due to the pandemic, NPA notes, proper nutrition is becoming harder to access and more important: A vitamin D deficiency weakens the immune system, which is crucial during this time, and Americans ordered to stay home and practice social distancing are exercising less and eating less nutritious food. COVID-19 is also exacerbating existing problems, NPA says: More than 23 million Americans live in food deserts, making it hard for them to access nutritious food even in the best of times.
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Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., President and CEO of NPA, said in the release: “Giving people more ways to save money to support their health is more important than ever. This simple change promotes the proactive, preventive approach that we need to support if we wish to improve Americans’ health and healthcare costs.”