The House of Representatives approved the “Health Care Cost Reduction Act” (H.R. 436), which includes provisions that would repeal the restriction on using health-related savings accounts to buy over-the-counter medication. The final vote was 270:146. It now moves to the Senate for consideration

The "Restoring Access to Medication Act" (S 1368/HR 2529), introduced by Sens. Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Reps. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) and Shelley Berkley (D-NV), would restore consumers’ ability to use flexible spending accounts (FSA), health savings accounts (HSA), and other tax preferred accounts for the purchase of most over-the-counter (OTC) medications without a physicians’ prescription.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) (PL 111-148) established new requirements that any patient wishing to purchase OTC medications and other health care products, using their FSA or HSA, must first obtain a prescription from their physician. The “Restoring Access to Medication Act” corrects this impediment to health care and consumer choice and, as a result, improves the quality and efficiency of health care.

Send a letter now asking Congress to correct this impediment to health care and consumer choice.

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