Strategic Policy Priorities

At the Physical Activity Alliance (PAA) our mission is to lead efforts to create, support, and advocate policy and system changes that enable all Americans to enjoy physically active lives. Through policy change, we want to transform communities, workplaces, schools, and other environments where people spend most of their time into places that make people want to be more physically active. We will also communicate and amplify the work of others. These policy changes and the supported work of others will incorporate directives to ensure equitable access to, funding for, and performance of physical activity for all Americans.

Priority Areas Where We Are Leading in the Policy Landscape

Physical Activity Assessment, Prescription and Referral in Health Care

We are implementing an action plan to integrate physical activity across the health care system and into delivery of care to bring best practices to all patients and health consumers. We will:

·     Engage with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on coverage and payment determinations for non-physician providers.

·     Work with the American Medical Association and the Digital Medicine Payment Advisory Group to discuss coding gaps.

·     Establish and standardize a measure for physical activity in the Health Level Seven International balloting process.

·     Explore measure development with the National Commission on Quality Assurance/National Quality Forum.

Physical Activity Policies Across the Federal Landscape

Where physical activity is integral to population health and well-being, educational achievement, effective health care delivery, emergency preparedness, and military readiness we will continue to pursue a “physical activity-in-all policies” approach at the federal level

·     Improve physical activity surveillance across the federal government’s data modernization and enhanced surveillance efforts.

·     Support an interagency task force at the federal level addressing physical activity, fitness and their implications for national security, social, emotional health and mental health and well-being.

·     Coordinate physical activity research across the federal government and develop a strategy across the National Institutes of Health for cross-cutting, innovative opportunities to advance physical activity research. Encourage additional coordinated research efforts including at the Department of Defense and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

We will amplify the important work of others across the policy landscape and incorporate additional sectors of the National Physical Activity Plan:

·     Active Transportation, Land Use, and Community Design

·     Youth Physical Activity, Physical Education, and Youth Sports

·     Public Health Infrastructure – Funding for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), CDC and Active People Healthy Nation

·     Tax Incentives for Physical Activity

·     Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

·     Community, Recreation, Fitness, and Parks

·     Health Promotion across Business and Industry

·     Military Readiness and Retention

IMPORTANT POLICY INITIATIVES

Active Transportation

As part of any infrastructure investment in the United States, we need to assist states in building and improving safe and accessible sidewalks, paths, and routes for biking, walking, and rolling – or active transportation – to everyday destinations and for recreation, and ensure safe and equitable access to public transportation. These efforts include protecting, expanding, and improving active transportation provisions in the federal transportation reauthorization legislation.

PAA supports our partners Safe Routes National Partnership, the League of American Bicyclists, and the American Heart Association who are leading these policy efforts.

Youth Physical Activity, Physical Education, and Youth Sports

Regular physical activity remains one of the most effective health-enhancing strategies available to most Americans. This is especially true for children and adolescents who need a recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day for optimal health and social and emotional well-being.

PAA supports public and private efforts to advocate for comprehensive physical activity that includes highly effective physical education, safe routes to and from school, after school programs, recess, and classroom-based physical activity. PAA also supports efforts to expand participation in youth sports, encourage regular physical activity, including active play, and ensure that sports are inclusive and played in safe environments.

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans are an essential resource for health professionals and policy makers that provide recommendations on how everyone can improve their health through regular physical activity. The guidelines are based on current scientific evidence supporting the connections between physical activity, overall health and well-being, disease prevention and quality of life.

PAA supports effort by the American College of Sports Medicine to pass the Physical Activity Recommendations for Americans (PAR) bill. PAR would require the Secretary of HHS to publish a report called “Physical Activity Recommendations for Americans” at least every ten years based on the latest scientific evidence. This will enable Americans of every age and physical aptitude – and their health care providers – to be well informed about the types and amounts of physical activity that people should perform to gain important health benefits.

PAA also supports efforts by HHS and others to communicate the messages in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, aimed at increasing physical activity.

Tax Incentives for Physical Activity

PAA supports passage of the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act, which is led by our partners at the PHIT Coalition. Active people are healthier, have a lower incidence of chronic disease, and require less medical care. Cost has been identified as a primary barrier to active lifestyles, but current pre-tax medical accounts are limited to diagnosis, treatment, and prescription drugs to manage chronic conditions. The PHIT Act will define physical activity as preventive medicine and make activity expenses eligible for payment using funds in pre-tax medical accounts to incentivize active lifestyles by lowering the financial barrier.

Chronic Disease Prevention, Management, and Treatment

Regular physical activity is one of the best ways to keep our bodies healthy and reduce the risk of developing preventable chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. PAA supports efforts of our member organizations to prevent and manage chronic disease with regular physical activity.  This includes programs like the Diabetes Prevention Program and the Moving Through Cancer initiative, focused on making physical activity part of the standard of care for cancer patients and survivors.

PAA supports increased medical school training in the exercise prescription, and therefore encourages passage of the ENRICH Act to establish a program of competitive grants to accredited medical schools for the development or expansion of an integrated nutrition and physical activity curriculum.