(Washington, DC)  – Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., M.D. (R-South Louisiana), released the following statement after the House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing today on the impact of limitations on the use of tax-advantaged accounts for the purchase of over-the-counter medication. As Chairman of the Subcommittee, Boustany focused the hearing on ways the President’s healthcare law increases costs for families:

“Federal savings accounts (FSAs), health savings accounts (HSAs), and health reimbursement accounts (HRAs) are tax-advantaged accounts used by many hard-working middle class families in America, helping workers pay for increasing out of pocket costs. They serve as useful tools in paying for healthcare needs for families across the country. About 35 million Americans have FSAs and the median salary of FSA enrollees is $55,000. Obamacare prohibits families from using these accounts to pay for over-the-counter medication. Families in South Louisiana will be forced to make visits to doctors’ offices in order to receive medications previously available at pharmacies without a prescription.

“This part of Obamacare has nothing to do with improving medical access for families. It is a tax increase on middle class American families to pay for the 2010 health law. One which will adversely affect health care access and affordability for families, physicians, and job creators in South Louisiana.”

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Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.), a physician, is chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight.