Welcome to the Health Action Center
Circa 2004-2006
The Campaign for Better Health was a partnership of the leading health advocates and organizations who had come together to provide better health opportunities for more Americans. This was their website where visitors could find alerts to make sure they stayed up-to-date on urgent issues needing their immediate action.
Content is from the site's 2004-2006 archived pages.
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Welcome to the Health Action Center
The Campaign for Better Health is building a grassroots action network that will be 250,000 strong by the end of the year. Health policy and practice is out of step with the health and wellness practices of millions of Americans. The Better Health Action Network creates a powerful voice for the millions of integrative health and wellness supporters to bring integrative health and wellness solutions to national attention.
Here you'll find alerts from The Campaign for Better Health and Citizens for Health where your action can make a difference. To make sure you stay up-to-date on urgent issues needing your immediate action, sign up for Health Action Center email updates.
About the Campaign for Better Health
Mission
The Campaign for Better Health will accelerate the shift from a treatment-based health system to a new, broader and more profound health and wellness culture that reduces costs, empowers individuals and enhances quality of life.
Purpose
The Campaign for Better Health gives a powerful, national voice to the millions of Americans who utilize and support integrative health and wellness practices. Together, we will create a healthier America by advancing solutions to improve health policy, practice and research and by empowering individuals to recognize their ability and responsibility to heal themselves.
About Citizens for Health
Who is Citizens for Health?
Citizens for Health was formed by a group of ordinary people who believed that good health is a right. Over 120 million Americans regularly use dietary supplements, eat organic foods or visit alternative medical practitioners. Collectively, we represent the largest, unorganized consumer movement in the country.
Consumers are taking pro-active steps to get healthy and stay healthy, and they are moving towards non-toxic and cost effective natural alternatives such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, healing arts, massage, and other holistic practices.
During a time when health care costs are escalating, chronic diseases pose more problems and our highly processed foods have fewer and fewer vital nutrients, the natural healthcare movement provides solutions—solutions that are less invasive, non-toxic, safe and proven to save billions of healthcare dollars.
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Observation:
My mother is very much into the philosophy behind the Health Action Center. When she finally decided it would be better for her to live in an assisted living facility rather than on her own, she looked very carefully at the facilities in Harford County where she lived in Maryland. I was so happy for her finding the Hart Heritage Assisted Living facility. They have two locations, one is in Forest Hill and the other in the town of Street. She selected the Street location which is located on 6.5 acres of park-like grounds, where she can take walks during good weather and watch the wild life from the windows in her room or from the dining room. The facility is relatively small with only 44 bedrooms and only room for 55 residents which makes it feel more cosy. After two years at Hart Heritage Estates, I think my mother knows everyone there and has made lots of new friends. Covid was certainly devastating for residents in nursing homes as well as assisted living facilities. Thankfully my mother never came down with Covid. Hart Heritage Estates did a really good job keeping their residents as safe as possible. Now that the country has a president that actually is looking out for the American people, it looks as if the price of prescription drugs will be lowered. President Biden signed an executive order directing HHS to explore additional actions to lower prescription drug costs. Hopefully the series of initiatives taking aim at pricing, anti-competitive practices, and more will make a difference. Interestingly the new framework may involve advancing a Trump-era policy, known as section 804 Importation Programs, that would allow the U.S. to import certain generic drugs from Canada. Additionally, these reforms will help bring down drug prices further by letting Medicare negotiate payment for certain high-cost drugs. Unfortunately with the GOP taking the house in the 2022 elections, who knows what will actually happen.
We can hope.
Help Lower Healthcare Costs and Improve the Health of At-Risk Children and Adults
Dear Citizens for Health Supporters and Friends of The Healthy Foundation,
Rising healthcare costs are a serious concern for all of us. Costs are rising and so are the number of Americans inflicted with chronic illnesses. The personal, social and economic burdens are unsustainable.
The Healthy Foundation has created unique programs that help lower these escalating costs and increase the health and wellness of those in need of help. Through their Vitamin Relief USA programs, they provide free daily multivitamins to over 20,000 children, teens, adults and seniors who are at-risk for vitamin deficiencies at over 500 locations in 42 states.
Most of us have come to appreciate what simple, daily multi-vitamins can do to support and maintain one's good health. For children, seniors, teens and adults at risk for malnutrition, the benefits from daily vitamins are dramatic. Daily vitamins help protect at-risk individuals from chronic diseases while also healing their illnesses, and improving their quality of life.
For instance, according to parents and teachers of the children participating in Vitamin Relief USA, the daily vitamins have helped to improve the children's school grades, school attendance, behavior, eating habits and self-esteem. In addition, parents report that they do not have to take their children to the doctor as often.
Senior participants report that vitamins from Vitamin Relief USA have decreased their need for medication, lessened their pain, and increased their mobility, energy, self-confidence and the ability to care for themselves.
We need programs like this programs that provide cost-effective, preventative measures. And we need them to expand and grow.
In order to do this, The Healthy Foundation needs your help.
A request has been made of the Chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriation Committee to provide The Healthy Foundation, from the 2005 congressional budget, with:
$2 million to provide daily vitamins to 60,000 at-risk children for one year.
And $2 million to research the impact of daily vitamins on seniors and their quality of life.
In order for this appropriation to be approved, it must have the support of many members of Congress. The Healthy Foundation cannot possibly reach each member of Congress to ask for his or her support.
As a constituent, your message to your congressional representative can make the difference between the success and failure of this funding.
Ask Congress to shift healthcare policy and support alternative solutions!
Although our nation is facing a serious healthcare crisis, millions of Americans are finding solutions that exist outside conventional medical approaches. Today, the majority of Americans use numerous types of "alternative" health solutions to maintain wellness, yet few of these solutions are embraced by legislators. Tell Congress that integrative health solutions are important to you and help to shift healthcare policy in America!
Support Fair Tax Treatment for Dietary Supplements!
Contact your Representatives today and encourage them to co-sponsor the bi-partisan bill H.R. 2627, the Dietary Supplement Tax Fairness Act. This important legislation would allow consumers to write off dietary supplements and some other natural health products as medical expenses on their taxes and give consumers tax breaks on these healthcare options. This initiative will save you hundreds of dollars every year on your health products and will allow many consumers to afford natural, less expensive, preventative healthcare options often paid for out-of-pocket, not just the conventional and pharmaceutical options that are covered by traditional health insurance. TAKE ACTION! Send a letter to your Representative and ask that they support H.R. 2627, the Dietary Supplement Tax Fairness Act. Send your message today. It only takes a minute!
Ask the U.S. Codex Delegation to protect DSHEA
Let?s write to Dr. Barbara Schneeman at the FDA now! Dr. Schneeman is one of our key U.S. representatives to Codex. Let?s ask her to please work diligently to ensure that our nation's hard-won health freedoms, a good example of which is the Dietary Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), are not only protected here at home but inform every meeting and decision at Codex. Codex Alimentarius (Latin for ?Food Code?) was originally created as the United Nations? attempt to establish international guidelines to ?help governments consider the formulation and adoption of similar international standards of [...] purity for all foods? To many, this sounds like a good idea. Agreement on trade, safety and purity would seem beneficial for the world in so many ways, right? Wrong! Not in the ways Codex is being constructed now. If accepted as an international standard by the U.S. Codex Delegation and implemented in the U.S. (called ?harmonization?), our future access to innovative and health-enhancing dietary supplements could, in time, be dramatically restricted. Let?s let Dr. Schneeman know that we are confident that she, Dr. Scarbrough, and the entire U.S. Delegation won't let us down at the Codex conference tables in Bonn, Rome, Geneva and here in the U.S.
Congress is Writing the WRONG Prescription for Health!
As the debate over Senate Bill 722 heats up, one thing is certain- the right to use safe dietary supplements is clearly under attack. This legislation threatens DSHEA and your access to safe dietary supplements. We need you to send a clear message to Washington: Congress is writing the WRONG prescription for health!
Take Action Today to Restore the Privacy of Your Medical Information
Your medical information is no longer private. You no longer have the power to consent to the disclosure of your health information. New federal rules grant permission to thousands of organizations, unrelated to your healthcare, to access your health information including your past medical records and genetic information. Even psychotherapy sessions are not exempt from this federal prying. The Justice Department now states that patients "no longer possess a reasonable expectation that their histories will remain completely confidential," adding that federal law "does not recognize a physician-patient privilege." Restore your rights today. Support Congressional Legislation that restores your medical privacy.
Take Action! Send a Message
Help Lower Healthcare Costs and Improve the Health of At-Risk Children and Adults
Dear Citizens for Health Supporters and Friends of The Healthy Foundation,
Rising healthcare costs are a serious concern for all of us. Costs are rising and so are the number of Americans inflicted with chronic illnesses. The personal, social and economic burdens are unsustainable.
The Healthy Foundation has created unique programs that help lower these escalating costs and increase the health and wellness of those in need of help. Through their Vitamin Relief USA programs, they provide free daily multivitamins to over 20,000 children, teens, adults and seniors who are at-risk for vitamin deficiencies at over 500 locations in 42 states.
Most of us have come to appreciate what simple, daily multi-vitamins can do to support and maintain one's good health. For children, seniors, teens and adults at risk for malnutrition, the benefits from daily vitamins are dramatic. Daily vitamins help protect at-risk individuals from chronic diseases while also healing their illnesses, and improving their quality of life.
For instance, according to parents and teachers of the children participating in Vitamin Relief USA, the daily vitamins have helped to improve the children's school grades, school attendance, behavior, eating habits and self-esteem. In addition, parents report that they do not have to take their children to the doctor as often.
Senior participants report that vitamins from Vitamin Relief USA have decreased their need for medication, lessened their pain, and increased their mobility, energy, self-confidence and the ability to care for themselves.
We need programs like this programs that provide cost-effective, preventative measures. And we need them to expand and grow.
In order to do this, The Healthy Foundation needs your help.
A request has been made of the Chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriation Committee to provide The Healthy Foundation, from the 2005 congressional budget, with:
$2 million to provide daily vitamins to 60,000 at-risk children for one year.
And $2 million to research the impact of daily vitamins on seniors and their quality of life.
In order for this appropriation to be approved, it must have the support of many members of Congress. The Healthy Foundation cannot possibly reach each member of Congress to ask for his or her support.
As a constituent, your message to your congressional representative can make the difference between the success and failure of this funding.
Letter to Your U.S. representative
Dear Representative
Health care costs are out of control. Preventative measures are needed now. As your constituent, I strongly urge you to make policy and funding decisions that improve this situation. Today, as a nation, we spend around $1.5 trillion dollars on healthcare in the United States. In the next decade, that number is expected to double. We must take measures right now to bring these escalating costs under control. One important key to improving this problem is available right now. Research shows that a daily multivitamin is a viable, cost effective tool to improve health, prevent disease and reduce healthcare costs. I am one of more than 158 million Americans (over half our population) who benefit from natural health approaches. Strong mainstream research continues to validate the important impact that daily multivitamins provide for Americans overall health resulting in lower healthcare costs. In fact, an article in The Journal of the American Medical Association recommends daily vitamins for all adults, particularly seniors, to prevent chronic disease. This is why I am excited about The Healthy Foundations Vitamin Relief USA programs. Through these vitamin distribution programs, over 20,000 children, seniors, teens and adults who are at-risk for malnutrition receive free high-quality RDA multi-vitamins at over 500 locations in 42 states. According to parents and teachers, these daily vitamins are improving at-risk childrens' school grades, school attendance, behavior, eating habits and self-esteem. In addition, parents report that they do not have to take their children to the doctor as often. Senior participants report that vitamins from Vitamin Relief USA have decreased their need for medication, lessened their pain, and increased their mobility, energy, self-confidence and ability to care for themselves. For these reasons, I urge you to actively support the request made to Chairman Regula of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriation Committee to provide to The Healthy Foundation: $2 million to provide daily multi-vitamins for one year to 60,000 children at-risk for nutritional deficiencies, to be distributed in public schools, after-school programs, Head Start programs and WIC programs in support of the President's No Child Left Behind initiative. And $2 million to conduct a demonstration research project to show the beneficial impact of daily multi-vitamin intake on the quality of life of at-risk seniors. The Healthy Foundation received $500,000 from the 2002 Congressional budget to perform a demonstration research project to verify the impact of daily vitamins on at-risk children and their academic performance. The clinical trial is underway at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Preliminary results from this important study are expected in the spring of 2005. I believe The Healthy Foundation should be approved for the requested funds for the 2005 budget. It is not only cost-effective, but also wise and humane for us to spend a few dollars on daily multivitamins to improve the quality of life of our most vulnerable citizens while also preventing the costly effects of disease and illness. Please voice your support the member request for The Healthy Foundation to Congressman Regula.
Sincerely,
Your signature will be added from the information you provide below.
More Background On HealthActionCenter.com
HealthActionCenter.com served as the digital action hub for a grassroots health advocacy initiative active primarily in the early-to-mid 2000s. Rather than operating as a medical service provider or informational health encyclopedia, the site functioned as a civic engagement platform designed to mobilize individuals around health policy issues. Its purpose was to alert visitors to legislative developments, regulatory threats, and public policy debates affecting wellness, integrative health practices, dietary supplements, and individual health freedoms.
At a time when online advocacy tools were still evolving, HealthActionCenter.com exemplified an early model of digital citizen action: combining policy education with direct calls to contact lawmakers, submit comments, and participate in coordinated national campaigns. The site positioned itself as a bridge between ordinary citizens and complex federal health policy decisions.
Historical Context and Origins
HealthActionCenter.com emerged during a period of heightened public concern over rising healthcare costs, increasing rates of chronic illness, and growing skepticism toward a healthcare system perceived as overly focused on treatment rather than prevention. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a significant portion of Americans had begun exploring integrative and alternative health practices, including dietary supplementation, holistic therapies, and preventive wellness strategies.
Despite widespread public adoption of these approaches, many advocates felt that federal policy lagged behind consumer behavior. HealthActionCenter.com arose in this environment as a response to what supporters viewed as a disconnect between health policy and the lived experiences of millions of Americans. The site framed itself as part of a broader movement to realign healthcare priorities with prevention, personal responsibility, and non-toxic, cost-effective health solutions.
Mission and Goals
The central mission of HealthActionCenter.com was to accelerate a national shift from a treatment-centric healthcare system toward a broader culture of health and wellness. The site emphasized several core goals:
- Empowering individuals to participate directly in health policy decisions
- Promoting preventive and integrative health solutions
- Defending consumer access to dietary supplements and natural health products
- Encouraging cost-effective approaches to public health
- Preserving medical privacy and individual health autonomy
The site framed these goals as both a public health imperative and a civic responsibility, urging visitors to view participation not merely as advocacy but as a necessary response to unsustainable healthcare trends.
Organizational Affiliations and Stewardship
HealthActionCenter.com was closely associated with national health advocacy organizations operating in the consumer health and wellness policy space. While the website itself did not foreground traditional corporate ownership structures, its campaigns, messaging, and action alerts aligned strongly with established nonprofit advocacy efforts focused on health freedom, nutrition policy, and regulatory reform.
The site functioned as a coalition platform rather than a standalone organization, aggregating campaigns, alerts, and initiatives from aligned advocacy groups. This structure allowed it to act as a centralized clearinghouse for action while maintaining flexibility to address rapidly changing legislative and regulatory developments.
Content Structure and Features
HealthActionCenter.com was organized around action-oriented content rather than static educational material. Typical site features included:
- Legislative action alerts
- Sample letters to elected officials
- Issue briefings explaining pending bills or regulatory proposals
- Email signup tools for urgent updates
- Advocacy campaigns related to nutrition, supplements, privacy, and healthcare costs
Rather than offering general wellness advice, the site focused on explaining how policy decisions could affect consumer access to health choices. Its tone was urgent but educational, designed to translate complex policy issues into accessible language for a general audience.
Advocacy Campaigns and Policy Focus
A significant portion of HealthActionCenter.com’s activity revolved around federal legislation and regulatory frameworks governing health products and medical information. Major areas of focus included:
Preventive Health and Nutrition
The site consistently highlighted preventive approaches as a means of reducing long-term healthcare costs. Campaigns emphasized the role of basic nutritional support in improving quality of life for children, seniors, and vulnerable populations. Preventive health was framed not as an alternative to medicine, but as an essential complement often overlooked in policy discussions.
Dietary Supplements and Consumer Choice
HealthActionCenter.com strongly defended consumer access to dietary supplements. It promoted policies that would recognize supplements as legitimate health tools and opposed measures perceived as overly restrictive or aligned with pharmaceutical interests. Advocacy messaging frequently stressed affordability, accessibility, and individual choice.
Healthcare Costs and Economic Sustainability
Rising healthcare expenditures were a recurring theme. The site argued that preventive and integrative approaches could reduce long-term costs for both individuals and public programs. Campaigns often framed wellness initiatives as fiscally responsible alternatives to reactive, treatment-heavy models.
Medical Privacy and Personal Autonomy
HealthActionCenter.com also addressed concerns around the privacy of medical records and personal health data. It warned visitors about expanding access to medical information by third parties and encouraged legislative action to restore stronger patient consent and confidentiality protections.
Audience and Reach
The site primarily attracted:
- Health-conscious consumers seeking policy engagement
- Advocates of integrative and alternative health practices
- Seniors and caregivers concerned about healthcare affordability
- Parents interested in preventive health for children
- Civic-minded individuals motivated to influence public policy
While not a mass-market health destination, HealthActionCenter.com resonated strongly within advocacy circles and wellness communities. Its influence was less about scale and more about mobilization, serving as a rallying point for coordinated citizen action.
Cultural and Social Significance
HealthActionCenter.com occupies an important place in the early history of online health advocacy. It represents a transitional moment when digital tools began enabling individuals to engage directly with policy processes from their homes. Long before social media activism became commonplace, the site demonstrated how targeted messaging, email campaigns, and centralized action alerts could amplify citizen voices.
Culturally, the site reflects broader societal shifts toward questioning institutional authority in healthcare and asserting individual agency. Its emphasis on prevention, wellness, and empowerment anticipated many themes that would later become mainstream in public health discourse.
Decline and Archival Status
Like many advocacy-driven websites of its era, HealthActionCenter.com became less active as organizational priorities shifted and digital engagement strategies evolved. Today, the site exists primarily through archived versions preserved by web archiving initiatives.
Despite its inactivity, the archived content remains valuable as a historical record of early 21st-century health policy advocacy. Researchers, historians, and policy analysts can use the site to better understand grassroots health movements and the evolution of digital civic engagement.
Legacy and Lasting Impact
Although HealthActionCenter.com is no longer active, its legacy persists in several ways:
- It helped normalize citizen participation in health policy debates
- It contributed to sustained advocacy around dietary supplements and health freedom
- It demonstrated the power of digital platforms for coordinated grassroots action
- It foreshadowed modern online activism models used across policy domains
In retrospect, HealthActionCenter.com stands as an early example of how ordinary citizens sought to reclaim agency in health decision-making through organized, informed, and persistent engagement.
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