All Things Fitness and Wellness

Fitness Industry Takes Capitol Hill: PHIT Act Advocacy and Policy Update with Mike Goscinski

• Krissy Vann

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In this episode of All Things Fitness and Wellness, host Krissy Vann sits down with Mike Goscinski, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Health & Fitness Association, to break down what really happened during the recent Advocacy Fly-In on Capitol Hill.

Over 100 fitness industry leaders met with lawmakers to advocate for the inclusion of the PHIT Act (Personal Health Investment Today Act) in upcoming legislation. The PHIT Act aims to allow Americans to use pre-tax dollars from HSAs and FSAs on gym memberships, youth sports, and fitness equipment.

We cover:

  • What was discussed in D.C.
  • Where the PHIT Act stands now
  • How fitness is being positioned in the healthcare conversation
  • What club operators and professionals should know
  • What comes next for fitness industry advocacy

Get an insider perspective on how policy and fitness are intersecting in 2025—and why it matters more than ever for industry professionals to stay informed.

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Unknown:

One of the benefits of all of the work that we're doing around the globe is if we're successful in getting fit across the finish line, it's a test case and it's a pilot program for governments around the globe to think about how they're investing in preventive health measures and physical activity and showing real results. If we're able to put it into implementation here in the United States, it becomes more accessible for governments around the globe to do so as well. This

Krissy Vann:

is all things fitness and wellness, uniting industry thought leaders and fit fluencers on the mission to inspire innovation and encourage people to live a life fit and well on this episode of The ATFW podcast, we're bringing you a behind the scenes look at what unfolded on Capitol Hill during the health and fitness Association's recent advocacy fly in. Over 100 fitness industry leaders were in Washington, DC, meeting with lawmakers and pushing for policy change, most notably, renewed momentum behind the PHIT act. We caught up with Mike Goscinski, Vice President of Government Affairs for the association, to get clarity on what was actually discussed in those meetings, where things stand now and what this could mean for club operators moving forward. This conversation breaks down the strategy the political climate and how the industry is trying to position fitness as part of the broader healthcare conversation. Before we get to it, be sure to hit like and subscribe. We have new podcast episodes weekly featuring industry thought leaders and influencers. I'm your host, Krissy Vann, and this is ATFW. First of all, Mike Goscinski, you're no stranger to the ATFW podcast. So thank you so much for carving out the time and space. No thank you for inviting me. I really wanted to catch up, because obviously your teams worked on the Fit act for several years, and this is not a new topic for the fitness industry, by any means, but I'm curious, when you were on the Hill last week, what felt different about the Sears advocacy push, and why do you believe it's finally gaining a little bit more traction?

Unknown:

So you know, I'd love to say that it's all luck and everything falls into place, but this is something that we've been planning for for quite some time. So you know, when I first started with the health and fitness Association and we've been assessing how we can get fit across the finish line, we knew our prime opportunity was going to be with the expiration of the tax cuts and Jobs Act that was enacted into law by the Trump administration back in 2017 Congress typically does not work on standalone tax legislation. And so we knew we would need, in the words of the President, one big, beautiful bill that was focusing on tax policy that we could get fit inserted into and across the finish line. And that's what we at HFA is have been targeting all of this time. And so, you know, with this year in particular, the one thing that I say felt different than ever before is just the receptiveness up on Capitol Hill. We had everyone on the Hill knowing that we are talking about tax policy, knowing what the implications are with the reconciliation package that's being worked on. And frankly speaking, on the days when we were on the hill, Congress together was working and drafting the legislation that we knew we would be a part of. So for our attendees, I think there was a much different feeling, understanding that they were actually a part of the process in a much bigger way than just simply going up in the years past and informing on a piece of legislation that may or may not be introduced and or taken up on the floor of the House and Senate. This time around, it was the feeling and the energy behind what we are talking about right now. You should be bringing to that room this afternoon and talking about including,

Krissy Vann:

obviously, I know that you do a lot of prep work for anybody that attends. You have people that have been regulars on the hill, and you have many that it's their first time. They've never done anything like this before. And I think for a lot of listeners, if they've not taken part or don't engage with the HFA as much, they might not understand the process, or necessarily understand what it means for them when there's a positive outcome. So I know that you just well, the HFA just did a press release because the Fit act is now included in the house reconciliation bill. Obviously, we're just kind of speaking to that. But what does that actually mean in terms of next steps, and how can it actually cause ripple effects within the industry itself?

Unknown:

Yeah. So what? What the Fit act first and foremost, for anybody that may be new and not understand the bill itself, what it would allow is HSA and FSA spending towards fitness memberships, fitness facilities. The bill itself that was introduced in Congress would also expand out to youth sports as well as equipment. But for the purposes of what Congress was able to include in this reconciliation package, it's really tailored at just access to make sure that Americans can use their HSA dollars to pay for gym membership, pay for, you know, a class, a studio class, or something, get physically active. But then what that means is that we have before us. The first time ever that Congress is addressing the change that we at HFA have been pushing to make sure. Fitness and physical activity is understood as preventive health care and a part of the preventive health care continuum, as opposed to just a hobby. And so if we're successful, if Congress is successful, now that we're in the package, in getting this bill across the finish line, what that means is for the first time, the federal government has recognized that physical activity and structured exercise and physical activity is a part of healthcare and is a part of preventive health. And that opens the doors for the policy achievements that we can work on at HFA and as an industry moving forward, it's a, it's just, you know, it's, it's the first step in a huge change that we've talked about, which our big hairy audacious goal is to make sure that we're a part of all preventive health policy and all preventive health planning on behalf of the federal government, Big

Krissy Vann:

Hairy Audacious Goals. That's one of my favorite sayings. It's great when we have one. But obviously you're very clear at HFA as to what that is. I was on LinkedIn, and you have many individuals that are championing what happened on the hill. And then there were some that were just more curious, or maybe had less of an understanding of how it actually impacts them. There was a particularly a post from an individual that was kind of like, what is actually being accomplished there? Does it actually only help fitness business people at enterprise level? What does it actually mean for me if I'm a trainer in a different level of the chain of the industry, what would you say to those? Because I know your ultimate goal, anytime we've spoken, is to have a collective, unified voice of the industry as a whole, right?

Unknown:

Right? Well, I would say, I would say it's, it's, again, multiple facets, right? So from the simplest on the Enterprise section, right? It opens up a brand new swath of Americans that now will be able to use pre tax dollars to think about investing in their preventive health or physical activity, as opposed to just thinking about medical bills, treatment, over the counter, medications and everything in their prescriptions, like they currently do. But I think, on the bigger standpoint, what it does is it signals from the, you know, the public relations aspect about the need for Americans to be getting physically active for their mental and physical health. So to the person who is a personal trainer that is thinking about this, think about the public relations around the market that's not currently tapped right? Many of us and many in the industry, we're evangelists. Everybody is into fitness. Everybody loves working out. But that in this country only makes up about 24% of the population. That means that 76% of the population is still out there able to be tapped into. And if we have the federal government endorsing that physical activity is prevention against 500,000 chronic diseases a year. Prevention against 5000 deaths a year due to those chronic diseases. Prevention against$12.82 billion in health care spending in this country. You could just all of a sudden imagine what that will do across the board. So from the personal training side, from the class side, we are an industry that offers something for everybody, and there's an opportunity in all of those facets of the industry and of the enterprise to take advantage, or, you know, benefit from this new and emerging population understanding the benefits of physical activity well, and

Krissy Vann:

you just explained the benefits so well. But I've had the opportunity in the past to join along and see what the day on Capitol Hill looks like. And for a lot of members of Congress or their staff, because you're not always able to have that face to face. This sentiment is often this is a no brainer. That's the reaction that I would say comes up most often. But I'm curious. There are sometimes some pushback or questions as to why this should be something that they endorse. So what were some of those points that they were pushing back on?

Unknown:

You know, I think so. It's, it's to your point. It's a no brainer. It's always seen as a no brainer, that the pushback is always, is this only a simple this single population that has access to these accounts, and our argument and our defense of that is the access to these accounts continue to grow, but that's not where we're stopping, and that HFA and the industry is invested in making sure that all populations have access or have the ability to get physically active in a way that's comfortable for them. And that's the benefit of the health and fitness industry, is that there's options available for everybody. And if government will incentivize the utilization, you know, it goes above and beyond that, through Medicare, through Medicaid, making sure that every population in the United States can take advantage of the industry and be and have access to the industry. That's something that would be amazing. So I think it, you know, every time, what I like to do is, when we do get that pushback of, well, this is only for a select population, the 90 million Americans that have access to health savings accounts, I push back and say, well, that's that's an opportunity for Congress to work with us and work with. Industry to see how we can serve the rest of the American public population. And we're willing to do so, our members are willing to do so. The industry is willing to step up and help in that regard. And so once we have that conversation, and we reframe it as, yeah, we agree, but don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Here's a population of 90 million Americans that you can get at, you can increase access with today. And then let's continue the conversation about how we can make out 100%

Krissy Vann:

Yeah, it's not an insignificant number by any means. Now, we started the conversation by saying, anyone that ever comes out there to partake there is that day of prep for getting them ready on the hill. But you also organize a lot of panels and panelists to the fact that you have 125 members of the fitness industry all in one room. There's a lot of idea sharing and things like that. And obviously one of the big conversations is trade and tariff policy right now. And I know that there was a session on that. So can you walk us through how current trade issues are impacting fitness operators and suppliers? Kind of what you heard within those panels and conversations,

Unknown:

you know, Krissy at the end of the day, it's just the uncertainty we've all been follows, following the conversations around trade here in the United States and the tariff, new tariffs that the administration was looking to levy the different levels that they're implementing, planning to implement, but it's changing at the drop of a dime. And I think the President himself and the administration admittedly saying they're using these tariff numbers as a negotiation standpoint, where we wanted to make sure that we were letting lawmakers know the impacts on the industry is how the uncertainty leads to the inability to plan. And so as companies and across the industry are looking to expand, grow and reinvest in new equipment or or redoing their facilities. This the current uncertainty about what that is going to cost and what the materials in order to do so are going to crop cost, not only them, but ultimately the overall industry. That was the conversation that we wanted to bring to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, and it was, it was received very well. Everybody understands the implications. And so at the end of the day, I think it was not so much what the numbers should be in terms of the percentage on on imports from China or Canada or Mexico. It's more so just tell us what the number is, so that we can plan effectively and plan for our businesses and and I think our members did a great job taking that message to Capitol Hill. It was received very well. I won't, you know, I won't say we have any impact on it, but you know, there's been changes recently. I know the White House has lowered the tariff level on China, but ultimately, I think we were echoing the same settlement that most in the business community are, that we just need the certainty to be able to play at. Yeah,

Krissy Vann:

without question. From those lead up panels, were there any other significant conversations that you feel some other members in the industry, if they weren't able to attend, would be curious to know? Yeah,

Unknown:

I think the the panel on prevention was really inspiring. We had former three time Olympian Dominique Dawes on the panel to talk about her investment in building. Dominic Dawes, gymnast in Ninja Academy. We had Dr Katrina Piercy from the prevention arm of the Health and Human Services Agency with us, as well as representatives from the American Cancer Society and active aging population. And what I think the best takeaway from that is, is across the board, the understanding that physical activity is a necessary part of every American's life and every everybody's life around the globe, from from birth through aging and the different aspects and benefits that are taken out of just simply having an active lifestyle. For instance, I was super surprised to learn, which is why I was so I was so excited to bring the American Cancer Society onto the panel that 46% of cancers in the United States are actively avoidable just by getting and staying physically active. And if we can bring that messaging to lawmakers, it only helps us paint the picture on the necessity of items such as fit and other aspects of the industry and how and make sure that they're connecting the dots across the board, that it's not just about staying in shape or getting in shape, but it's about actually preventing, you know, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, etc, etc, etc. Well, and I know that the

Krissy Vann:

focus of the HFA isn't just stateside. Obviously, what you are out there to do impacts residents within America. But let's face it, if it were to actually pass whomever gets it over to the finish line or something similar, first is going to be a beacon for other places when it comes to the global platform, I know that you're also evolved. European Congress comes up in October. So from a global perspective, are you seeing any other countries making meaningful policy strides right now when it comes to recognizing fitness? Yeah,

Unknown:

absolutely. Brazil has done some great work, and our federation partners down there have done some great work in doing the. Similar work to make sure that the populations understand the benefits and are getting physically active. I know Australia is also looking to, you know, create tax incentives to get and stay physically active. And I think one of the benefits of all of the work that we're doing around the globe is, if we're successful in getting fit across the finish line, it's test cases, it's a pilot program for governments around the globe to think about how they're investing in preventive health measures and physical activity and showing real results. If we're able to put it into implicate implementation here in the United States, it becomes more accessible for governments around the globe to do so as well. And that goes around around every issue that we we look to engage in here, in the US, a lot of our advocacy work, you're right, is 100% here I am on the boots on the ground lobbying here in Washington, DC, and Charles on my team is actively engaged at state houses around throughout the country. But the policies that are being developed are global policies. If it's happening here, it likely will happen somewhere else, and if we can help shape and craft that policy into a business tenable solution that actually does produce results in the health and well being of the population, that's something that we can then package a tool that as a toolkit to our federation partners and make give them the tools and resources they need to be advocating with the governments themselves, in the same way, with the tangible examples of how we've done it here in the US. And

Krissy Vann:

lastly, here, obviously, I know there was a ton of lead up for you and your teams going into this, but we know anyone that was out there change doesn't happen in a couple of days on the hill. Anyone that's ever been out there knows you're certainly not the only lobbying group getting work done. So what is next? What is the focus as we progress through the rest of 2025

Unknown:

Well, you know, and it's funny, you say that, because actually, this was the something that doesn't happen all the time. We were actually able to produce real results. Passion here, not necessarily on the Fit act alone. We obviously they, we had, we've been laying the groundwork to get in this package for some time, but having the voices on the hill really did make a difference. But in addition to that, we talked about the federal FTC click to cancel implementation that was set to happen on May 14, and we talked about the app, the need for the industry to have more time. And we brought those conversations directly to the White House as well. I was I spoke with White House policy staff while we were in town, and over the weekend, after the event, they implemented a 60 day implementation today, which I think is something that we should take credit for, and the industry should take credit for, because we had up on the Hill talking about the need for more time, not the need to necessarily move away from the final rule, but just the need for more time for implementation. And that directly led to a successful result. I think, as we look at fit over the next couple of weeks, it's going to be really pivotal as this big, beautiful package goes through the house, the ways and means did mark up their language that included fit and passed it out yesterday. So step one and two are done. We'll move to the package being mushed together and voted on on the House floor, and then it's over to the Senate, where we need to make sure that we're continuing to beat the drum, getting senators to keep it in their package as well, and then ultimately getting the whole bill across the finish line and signed by the President. And then, you know, then, then I'll pop the champagne, and we could take the victory

Krissy Vann:

lot fair enough well. For those that are listening, that want to get involved, want to learn more, where should they travel to visit

Unknown:

health and fitness.org, or you can email me. You're more than welcome to put my contact information in the show notes and feel free to reach out to us. You know, we're completely accessible and happy to answer any and all questions for

Krissy Vann:

the industry. Well, Mike, I know that it's been a busy time for you, so thank you, as always, for carving out something in your calendar.

Unknown:

Absolutely and to those who are members, think about joining, because every dollar that's invested in HFA allows us to do this work, so we really appreciate it. Awesome.

Krissy Vann:

Thanks so much for your time. Thank you. You've just listened to the All Things fitness and wellness podcast hosted by Krissy Vann. Be sure to hit like and subscribe. We have new podcast episodes weekly featuring industry insiders and influencers. Together, we're on a mission for everyone to live a life fit and well, huge.

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