Source: LOHAS Weekly Newsletter
Published: Saturday, September 01, 2001

WASHINGTON—Sens. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, have introduced new legislation suggesting that dietary supplements, medical foods and foods for specific dietary needs that are FDA approved should be covered in health insurance plans. The “Dietary Supplement Tax Fairness of 2001” bill would also require that these alternative healthcare options be tax deductible for employers and be excluded from employees’ taxable income.

Separately, in a joint letter on July 17 to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the senators urged HHS to move forward with FDA’s proposed good manufacturing practice (GMP) regulations for dietary supplements. The senators expressed their concern with the fact that after seven years of the implementation of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, GMP standards have yet to be adopted. They requested to be notified as to when HHS expects to move forward, and strongly recommended that there be no further delay in the enactment of the standards.

Additionally, they addressed the lack of action taken by FDA regarding ephedra and suggested that FDA should substantially strengthen warning labels on products containing the supplement. They also asserted that FDA needs to be more aggressive in the removal of illegal ephedra products from the shelf.