NEWS BITS -- the latest news and tidbits of information
The PACTH is now an Associate member of the Federation of Riding for the Disabled International. We are applying for Full membership and should know about that around August 1, 2009. Once we know, we will be expanding the PACTH website to include information such as the table of contents from the "Scientific and Educational Journal of Therapeutic riding" as well as news from around the world. Watch for this expanded section coming soon.
NARHA has put out the following information:
HR 2105 - Personal Health Investment Today Act of 2009
NARHA would like to inform its members of a new Congressional bill being drafted, H.R. 2105, or the Personal Health Investment Today Act of 2009. This bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase amounts paid for physical fitness activities as medical care as an incentive to make people more active. Americans would be allowed to set aside up to $1000 each year from their tax-favored accounts to cover fitness-related expenses. This is an effort to decrease medical expenses resulting from preventable illness related to obesity.
The initial draft of the bill, which is still in the House committee review phase, specifies that allowable "fitness facilities" covered by the act would not include any facilities offering riding activities. As you can imagine, this act may thus affect NARHA Centers and insurance coverage/compensation for equine-assisted activities and therapy (EAAT) programs.
Although the bill focuses on compensation for fitness activities related to weight loss and not medical treatment, it is important that our Congress realizes the impact this bill could have on our vital and beneficial industry. Many NARHA centers provide services directly related to the treatment of "weight control disorders," and as such H.R. 2105 will directly impact these centers at the very least - not to mention the other centers tangentially affected by the act.
We are encouraging all NARHA members to write to their congressperson informing him or her of our concerns and encouraging him or her to consider EAAT programs when reviewing, amending and voting on this bill. Click here for a template letter to representatives and senators. It can also be found in the "resources" pull down menu on the NARHA website home page at www.narha.org.
Sincerely,
Carol Click here to go to the NARHA website.
Carol Nickell, CEO