AMERICAN HEALTH CARE REFORM ACT OF 2015 (H.R. 2653) was introduced in the House on June 4, 2015 (H.R. 2653) & sent to committee on June 15, 2015.

This bill proposes “to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and related reconciliation provision, to promote patient-centered health care to provide for the creation of a safe harbor for defendants in medical malpractice actions who demonstrate adherence to clinical practice guidelines and for other purposes.” This bill proposes to amend many items, including an amendment to current section 213, regarding Medical, dental, etc., expenses.

It is proposed to add “Certain Nutritional and Dietary Supplements to Be Treated as Medical Care”.

The Bill if amended would add the following language, “NUTRITIONAL AND DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS. (A) IN

GENERAL. The term ‘medical care’ shall include amounts paid to purchase herbs, vitamins, minerals, homeopathic remedies, meal replacement products, and other dietary and nutritional supplements. (B) LIMITATION. Amounts treated as medical care under subparagraph (A) shall not exceed $1,000 with respect to any individual for any taxable year. (C) MEAL REPLACEMENT PRODUCT. For purposes of this paragraph, the term ‘meal replacement product’ means any product that (1) is permitted to bear labeling making a claim described in section 403(r)(3) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and(2) is permitted to claim under such section that such product is low in fat and is a good source of protein, fiber, and multiple essential vitamins and minerals. (b) EFFECTIVE DATE. The amendment made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.”

Nature’s Sunshine Legal will monitor and provide updates on this newly introduced legislation.

 

What is a bill? The “H.R.” in “H.R. 2653” means the bill originated in the House of Representatives. Every proposed bill is assigned a number. The bill’s title is written by its sponsor. A bill must be passed by both the House and Senate in identical form and then be signed by the President to become law.

(Since we don’t live in fantasy land, we know that neither the House nor the Senate ever jointly agree on a bill).

“Unless we put medical freedom in the constitution, the time will come when medicine will organize into an undercover dictatorship…The constitution of this Republic should make special provision for medical freedom as well as religious freedom.”  ~ Benjamin Rush M.D. signer of the Declaration of Independence, known as the “Father of American Medicine.” 

 

Latest News on GMO Issues:

• Chipotle restaurant chain has announced that they will no longer use any ingredients in their food that contains GMO’s. This is capturing much media attention, both for and against GMO’s. Consequently, more people are now becoming aware of the discussion and educating themselves.  In the end that’s the most important thing!
• In June, a Federal Court agreed with farmers who are concerned about their crops being contaminated by GMO crops! This is the first time that has happened at the Federal level and will bring about some massive changes in protecting our food sources as well. Until now, local farmers were being sued by Monsanto’s attorneys if contamination of GMO crops (by the local farmers’ non-GMO seeds) were found in their crops. These farmers were often ruined by the lawsuits when they had to defend themselves against the deeper pockets and an army of corporate attorneys specializing in this type of lawsuit.

 

Health Freedom Bill Passed in Nevada: Thanks to Jim Jenks, Dianne Miller & the lobbyist for the successful passage of this bill in Nevada. Not only did they work tirelessly but Jim also personally funded part of the money required for this legislative project. [Support of the Sunshine Health Freedom Foundation could eliminate the need for this]

 

Abortion Victory for North Carolina: In June, North Carolina joins Missouri, South Dakota and Utah in requiring a 72-hour waiting period for abortions, except in cases of a medical emergency.. A total of 24 states require some waiting period before an abortion can be performed, and several are considering new or longer restrictions this year.

“Health Freedom may not be on the front burner for most in Washington, but this is exactly the time when sneaky things happen in Washington.”

POSSIBLE BAN ON BULK CAFFEINE POWDER (BCP).
In the past few months, at least two confirmed deaths have been linked to the use of BCP. On December 9, 2014, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) filed a Citizens Petition to “Ban the Retail Distribution of Pure and Highly Concentrated Caffeine Sold in Powder Form as a Dietary Supplement.” On January 22, 2015, Six U.S. senators supported the Petition filed by (CSPI) by sending a letter of support to Dr. Hamburg of the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). The United Natural Product Alliance (UNPA) has made a no-sale policy of selling BCP as a condition for membership. While many in the industry support the ban, Dr. Daniel Fabricant, CEO of Natural Product Association, has a different opinion, he worries that this is a situation where people are overdosing and not following label instructions. Fabricant thinks if the FDA finds a risk they should ban the products, but he states, “we don’t want to get into a position where Senators are using a court public opinion to regulate the industry.” He says the FDA should “make a decision based on science.” Nature’s Sunshine Legal Department will continue to monitor and update.
MINNESOTA PROPOSES A GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM (GMO) LABELING BILL.
Minnesota Introduced Bills number SF335 and HF351, to the Senate and House on January 26, 2015. If passed, the bills will take effect January, 2017, and will require the wording “Produced with Genetic Engineering” to be place on packaging in a “clear and conspicuous” manner. Alaska, Connecticut, Maine and Vermont have already adopted GMO labeling laws. Nature’s Sunshine Legal Department will monitor and update.

 

FINAL AMENDMENT TO COOLING-OFF RULE APPROVED BY FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
On January 6, 2015, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) approved the final amendment to the Cooling-Off Rule. Previously, the rule stated it was unfair and deceptive for door-to-door sales people to fail to provide consumers with disclosures regarding their right to cancel sales contracts within three business days of a transaction if the sale was valued at more than $25.00. The amended rule took effect on March 13, 2015. The rule distinguishes between sales at a buyer’s residence and sales at other locations. The rule retains the $25.00 limit for in home sales, and places a $130.00 limit for sales located in temporary locations (i.e. Retail stores). The reason for retaining the $25.00 limit was to “discourage high-pressure sales tactics and deception that can occur during in home solicitations.” This information is provided by NSP’s Legal Department for informational purposes.