News and Updates

Health Promotion Provisions are law

Below are the specific provisions we are advocating for.  Our advocates sent more than 11,000 letters to members of Congress to ask for support of these provisions.

Detailed documentation for each of these provisions,  including actual legislative language can be found by clicking here.
 

1. Development of a national health promotion plan.
    
2. Enhanced health promotion research.
    
3. A national campaign to employers on the benefits of workplace health promotion programs.
    
4. Technical assistance to enhance evaluation of workplace health promotion programs.
    
5. Research on best practices in workplace health promotion programs.
    
6. Regular periodic surveys on workplace health program prevalence and components.
    

7. Grants or tax credits to pay a portion of the cost of comprehensive workplace health promotion programs.

8. Allow employers to offer employees a premium discount of up to 30% (instead of the current 20%), for positive  lifestyle practices or participation in health promotion programs, include safeguards, and refer to Health and Human Services to study benefits of increasing the portion to 50%.

Timing

Timing on passage of health care reform legislation is uncertain.  The January 19 election of Republican Senator Scott Brown eliminated the Democrats 60 vote majority and made passage of comprehensive health care reform legislation in the Senate unlikely in the near future.  If this remains the case, we will begin advocating for passage of a free-standing health promotion bill.

Click here to see legislative developments that have occurred since July, 2009.
 
Updates

We will send you updates every few weeks to let you know how legislation is moving through Congress.