It is possible after December 31, 2018, we may see a new way to reward wellness. Could this impact future cancer rates if we embrace a wellness mindset while also saving money?
PUBLISHED August 10, 2018
Tamera Anderson-Hanna is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Certified Addiction Professional, Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and became a Registered Yoga Teacher while coping with breast cancer in 2015. She owns Wellness, Therapy, & Yoga in Florida where she provides personal wellness services and coaching and she is a public speaker on wellness-related topics. You can connect with her at www.wellnesstherapyyoga.com.
According to the American Cancer Society, body weight and obesity is linked to about 8 percent of all cancers. Increased weight gain can also be linked to some cancer recurrences, too. Maintaining a healthy body weight helps prevent heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other illnesses. Yes, we are going to age and we will not live forever, but maintaining wellness may help us to enjoy and maximize the years we have left.
I am very excited to keep an eye on the PHIT Act. The PHIT Act is the Personal Health Investment Today Act. It is believed it can help to prevent unnecessary illness and give Americans a financial incentive to stay physically healthy and improve upon personal and family health. The legislation that appears to be in the introduction phase with Congress would allow individuals with a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to use the account toward physical activity-related wellness expenses pre-tax dollar. The FSA can currently only be applied to approved medical and health care-related expenses that are needed when a person is ill. So, it is not necessarily for the type of expenses we make to maintain health. Such currently approved FSA expenses include for example co-payments and deductibles for physician visits, dental care and vision care, but has not included provisions to maintain wellness other than through an annual physical or potentially for a visit with a registered dietician to manage a healthy diet. With the potential incorporation of the PHIT Act, families or individuals could potentially deduct approved gym memberships, yoga classes, martial arts classes, pay to play sports, youth camps, personal training services, physical fitness equipment, or other approved wellness related activities and sports from an FSA.
I am very excited to keep an eye on the PHIT Act. The PHIT Act is the Personal Health Investment Today Act. It is believed it can help to prevent unnecessary illness and give Americans a financial incentive to stay physically healthy and improve upon personal and family health. The legislation that appears to be in the introduction phase with Congress would allow individuals with a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to use the account toward physical activity-related wellness expenses pre-tax dollar. The FSA can currently only be applied to approved medical and health care-related expenses that are needed when a person is ill. So, it is not necessarily for the type of expenses we make to maintain health. Such currently approved FSA expenses include for example co-payments and deductibles for physician visits, dental care and vision care, but has not included provisions to maintain wellness other than through an annual physical or potentially for a visit with a registered dietician to manage a healthy diet. With the potential incorporation of the PHIT Act, families or individuals could potentially deduct approved gym memberships, yoga classes, martial arts classes, pay to play sports, youth camps, personal training services, physical fitness equipment, or other approved wellness related activities and sports from an FSA.
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