Americans aren’t moving enough.
Only about one in five adults in the U.S. meet the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines. Our kids are doing better, but not by a lot. Only one in three children are physically active every day.
Regrettably, these statistics have negative consequences for our country.
Physical inactivity has a direct effect on health, the cost of healthcare, the odds of businesses remaining financially viable, our national economy, global competitiveness, and the military readiness of our nation.
Consider these sobering statistics — just a few of many:
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Ninety percent of total healthcare spending is for people with one or more chronic conditions — many of which can be prevented with regular exercise and other healthy living habits.
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Chronic diseases cost $794 billion in lost employee productivity each year, according to projections from the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease.
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Being overweight is one of three leading preventable reasons why 71 percent of young Americans are ineligible for military service.
Many leaders in the public policy arena now recognize how far-reaching the ramifications of a sedentary population can be for a nation.
In response, a team of congressional leaders — Republicans and Democrats — introduced the Personal Health Investment Today Act (PHIT) because they understand that the future health of America affects everyone.
The PHIT bill (H.R.1267 and S.482) is federal legislation that addresses the growing threat that physical inactivity poses to our nation by opening up options for how Americans can pay for exercise expenses.
It would allow any American to use pre-tax accounts, such as Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts, to pay for qualified fitness expenses. This would include including youth sports fees, exercise equipment, health club membership, and other exercise costs.
That means people would be able to use their healthcare dollars for staying healthy and preventing costly illnesses in the first place. If passed, PHIT would enable Americans to use $1,000 pre-tax and families up to $2,000 each year for fitness activities. That’s a projected, and meaningful, savings of 20 to 30 percent on fitness costs annually.
PHIT is a move in the right direction. And there is opportunity to pass it, as the legislation ties nicely into the contexts of broader tax and healthcare reform — two legislative priorities of the 115th Congress.
But like any bill, nothing is a slam dunk. Critics, for instance, are concerned about the bill’s fiscal score, calculated by the Joint Committee on Taxation. The $2.5 billion in lost revenue over 10 years makes some people hesitate. But PHIT would likely save a great deal in annual healthcare costs. Just consider that physical inactivity costs $117 billion in healthcare spending each year, and that about two out of three Medicare beneficiaries have multiple chronic conditions.
All told, the up-front investment in PHIT amounts to less than one-thousandth of one percent of the annual federal budget, while the expected savings in healthcare and chronic disease-related spending over the long haul should more than cover that investment.
In fact, a 2012 economic study describes how Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cost estimates, which generally cover a 10-year period, do not capture the costly complications of chronic diseases, which often take more than 10 years to manifest. The study authors suggest that a 25-year budget window would be more appropriate and effective when there is strong and reliable disease modeling to inform longer-term estimates
America’s health — physical, economic, and military — is a common-ground issue that both parties can agree on. Already, PHIT has more than 60 bipartisan supporters in both the House and the Senate. And many more are expected.
PHIT makes sense from all angles. It will help create a national culture that supports Americans in their efforts to be physically active. Now is the time for Congress to move this common-ground legislation forward.
Helen Durkin, J.D., is Executive Vice President of Public Policy for the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association.
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