This is the International Health Racquet and Sportsclub Association's policy orientation to promote primary prevention as the key to fighting the health care crisis.

1. IHRSA’s 2011 Public
Policy Platform
The Vision for a Healthier, More Prosperous
America and Club Industry

2. Exemplary
Leadership
Thank you Public Policy Council
Members!
Your efforts and your support of
the Industry Defense Fund are
making a difference in our
industry and in the health of our
country.

3. It is very important to have
everyone in the game.
This is not the time for anyone to be
on the sidelines.
1.The threat of burdensome
regulation has never been higher.
2.Your dollars go farther together.
3.IHRSA has the expertise to get
results.
Public Policy Council

4. Our business is a big
target for
government...
...if we let it be.

5. Over the past 12 months, IHRSA monitored
and tracked well over 300 state
legislative bills,
half of which could have had a direct,
harmful impact on the bottom lines of
IHRSA member clubs.
Public Policy Council

6. Massive state budget deficits =
multiple sales tax fights.
Since 1997, IHRSA has been involved in 31
Tax battles. Thanks to your support,
we’ve been successful 28 times.
Public Policy Council

8. Chances of sales tax defeats are possible.
So far in 2011, we have successfully defeated a tax proposal
in Georgia, will likely defeat proposals in Rhode Island,
Arizona and Illinois thanks to “Stop The Tax” grassroots
campaigns, and are are monitoring serious threats in
California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York,
Pennsylvania and Texas.
Sales Tax Tug-of-War

9. Reason Two:
It’s good business.
Your dollars go much
farther and accomplish
much more together.
The Multiplier Effect

10. Your Dollars Go Farther
Acting alone, $35,000 may buy you one state
lobbyist on one issue.
The same amount to the Industry Defense Fund
buys you:
• $900,000 in state and federal lobbying
• Daily monitoring of all 50 states
• On the ground Grassroots campaigns
The Multiplier Effect

11. Reason Three:
IHRSA has the expertise
to get results.
• Over 70 years of health club
specific public policy
experience.
• Over 12 years of postgraduate
degrees in law, public policy &
health.
• IHRSA’s friends and contacts
in Government are your friends
70 Years of Expertise

12. Threats by Issue (as of March 17, 2011)
12

13. The best Defense is a good
Offense.

14. Successful
Health Promotion
legislation at the
State Level
includes bills in
Maryland,
Michigan and
Colorado.
Health promotion defeats
sales taxes.

15. The need has never been
greater…
Our dollars go farther
together…
We have a team that can do
the job…
But issue fatigue, apathy and
shrinking budgets have led
some in the industry to sit on
the sidelines.
What about the apathy?

16. When an industry is
fragmented and should-be
leaders sit on the sidelines,
opportunities to use policy
and social movements to
grow are wasted,
and forces that restrict
growth through burdensome
regulation flourish.
What about the apathy?

17. Businesses willing to get in
the game through
participation in public policy
are rewarded.
A review of 7,000
businesses, found that
politically active businesses
are 20% more profitable.
What about the apathy?

18. The Vision for a
Healthier, More
Prosperous America
Introducing a new strategy to get
everyone in the game.
Following one game plan.
With multiple alliances.

19. The Vision for a Healthier,
More Prosperous America
The Vision for a Healthier, More Prosperous America
developed out of Senate Resolution 97, which was
introduced and passed in the US Senate by unanimous
consent in March 2011.
Galvanized by the support the US Senate is showing
towards primary prevention and exercise, we have taken
the resolution and simplified it into a unified game plan
the entire industry can get behind.

20. SUCCESS!!!
Senate Bill 97
On March 9, 2011 the Senate
adopted by unanimous consent
our resolution.
Yes, the current Senate, all 100
members unanimously passed
this resolution.
Unanimous Consent!

21. First, we present the five
principles of the Vision.
Then, we ask you for a
Commitment to act.

22. Principle 1
Primary prevention
– the prevention of a disease before
it occurs, including regular exercise,
healthy eating, avoidance of tobacco
and other controlled substances,
stress management, and routine
medical exams –
is critical to the public health and
future economic competitiveness of
our country. It saves lives,
encourages increased individual
responsibility, increases worker
productivity, and lowers federal health
care expenditures.

23. As individuals, professionals,
and taxpayers, we must
recognize and encourage the
role of primary prevention in
reducing the toll that chronic
diseases have taken on our
country.
Principle II

24. Since the late 1980s, roughly
two-thirds of the increase in
health care spending in the
United States has been due to
the increased prevalence of
treated chronic disease.
Today, about half of all
Americans suffer from one of
more chronic diseases.
A greater emphasis on primary
prevention would significantly
reduce the annual cost of
treating chronic disease
(currently $1.5 trillion) in the
United States.
Principle III

25. Note: the annual cost of treating
chronic disease in the U.S. is
currently $1.5 trillion.
Imagine a professional football
stadium, with a fence around the
field from sideline to sideline,
goal line to goal line.
If you poured out $1.5 trillion in
$100 bills, it would cover the
entire field and create a pile of
Benjamin Franklins over 12 feet
high, taller than the cross bar on
the goal posts.
How Much is $1.5 Trillion?

26. According to The Centers for
Disease Control & Prevention,
primary prevention may
prevent 80% of heart disease
Principle IV

27. Individually and collectively, we must help our citizens,
legislators, and community leaders understand and respond to
the documented correlation between chronic disease and
primary prevention.
We must actively promote public policies and principles that
encourage primary prevention and personal responsibility, such
as financial incentives, and that remove barriers to healthy
lifestyle choices.
We also must support businesses, health professionals, and
local public health communities to encourage individuals to
accept personal responsibility for many aspects of their own
health through the active practice of primary prevention.
Principle V

28. My Commitment to
a Healthier,
More Prosperous
America:
Will each of you commit to act?

29. My Commitment to a Healthier,
More Prosperous America:
■ I agree with and will publicly endorse the “Vision For a
Healthier, More Prosperous America” document.
■ I will lead by example by taking responsibility for my
own health and practicing primary prevention.
■ I will share the “Vision For a Healthier, More
Prosperous America” document with other leaders in
my industry, my profession, and my community, and ask
them to endorse it as well.

30. My Commitment to a Healthier,
More Prosperous America
(continued):
■ I will ask my Congressional representatives to
publicly endorse Resolution 97, which supports the
“Vision For a Healthier, More Prosperous America.”
■ I will support and ask my state and federal
representatives to support legislation that would (a)
remove or oppose barriers to healthy lifestyle
choices; and (b) promote primary prevention
practices.

31. My Commitment to a Healthier,
More Prosperous America: 31
If you agree to the preceding principles, please pledge your
support today:
■ Send an email with the subject title “I Commit to a Healthier
America” that includes your name and your club or company
name to ExerciseYourRights@ihrsa.org, or
■ Visit www.ihrsa.org/vision (coming soon), or
■ Register to attend the Summit for a Healthier America, taking
place May 4th & 5th in Washington, DC. Register at
www.ihrsa.org/summit.

32. Thank you! 32
■ To contact IHRSA Public Policy, email
publicpolicy@ihrsa.org, or call 1 800-228-4772 (US &
Canada) or +1 617-951-0055.
■ To visit learn more about the Public Policy Council’s
Industry Defense Fund, visit www.ihrsa.org/industry-
defense-fund.
■ To contribute to the Industry Defense Fund and join the
Public Policy Council, visit www.ihrsa.org/pledge.
■ To see a list of current Public Policy Council members,
visit www.ihrsa.org/contributors.