PHIT America Campaign Enters Second Phase

The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), PHIT America, and industry partners kicked off the second phase of a nine-month social media campaign to urge Americans to send messages to Senators and Congressmen/women in support of the PHIT (Personal Health Investment Today) Act. 

The interactive campaign leverages social media outlets and grassroots advocacy to spread awareness of the PHIT Act and garner support for this bi-partisan legislation to improve health.

Supporters of phase one of the social media campaign shared one of four videos, produced by BBDO Atlanta, along with suggested tweets and posts to create awareness of the #PassThePHITAct initiative within their respective networks.  The second video vignette will highlight another startling reality of the pandemic -- inactivity kills more Americans each year than drugs and alcohol.

Click here to view the second video vignette.

“We are extremely pleased to have PHIT America and many other industry partners working hand-in-hand with us on the campaign,” said Tom Cove, CEO & President of SFIA. “Our joint efforts are creating awareness of the inactivity pandemic in our country, and we are communicating to Congress the direct impact the PHIT Act will have on improving the health of our nation.”

The PHIT Act (H.R.1218 & S.2218) would change the IRS definition of a “medical expense” to include physical activity as a form of prevention.  Expanding the medical expense definition would make physical activity expenses reimbursable using pre-tax dollars in Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and would allow consumers to deduct physical activity costs once they meet the 10 percent of income threshold on medical expenses.

Eligible expenses would include sports and fitness equipment solely used to participate in a physical activity, gym memberships, fitness & exercise classes, sport/activity camps & clinics, youth & adult sports’ registration fees, lessons & clinics, running & fitness event registration fees, yoga and other physical activity expenses.  
 
“As many Americans enter the New Year with a ‘get active’ resolution, SFIA, PHIT America, and our partners are staunchly committed to rallying Congress to lower the financial barrier that may be preventing them from doing so through the passage of the PHIT Act,” concluded Cove.  

To voice your support of the PHIT Act to Congress, please visit www.PassthePHITAct.org and follow #PassthePHITAct.  
   
The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), the #1 source for sport and fitness research, is the leading global trade association of manufacturers, retailers, and marketers in the sports products and fitness industry. SFIA seeks to promote sports and fitness participation as well as industry vitality through research, thought leadership, public affairs, industry affairs, and member services. For more information, please visit www.sfia.org.