Perspectives on the Affordable Care Act in relationship to alternative medicine
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The Affordable Care Act has gotten a lot of press, and the American public is worried. People wonder about its financial feasibility and if these policies are going to hurt or improve our lives. One question that our office is being asked a lot is “are Naturopaths and Alternative practitioners like chiropractors and acupuncturists going to be covered?” The answer in terms of the law and how it is written is, yes. However, there is one caveat. The Insurance Commissioner Monica Lindeen and her office have been slow in implementing the law into the Montana state policies. We are convinced that her office must be overwhelmed by all the changes. We have recent news that indicates that their office might be able to achieve implementation by Jan. 1.
Let’s back up. First, it is important to understand that the Affordable Care Act focuses on prevention. In fact, even those who choose a high deductible insurance plan can see a physician for a yearly “Well Check.” This appointment is paid for by the insurance company. Secondly, it is also important to understand why Senator Tom Harkin authored the “anti-discrimination” provision into the Affordable Care Act. Provision 2706 mandates that all insurance carriers cover all licensed providers who are practicing within their scope of practice. Harkin can be quoted saying, “Patients want good outcomes with good value, and complementary and alternative therapies can provide both.” The National Institute of Health published a study that reflects “alternative medicine treatments offer the possibility of significant savings in direct health costs.”
Further, the study shows that “alternative therapies are likely to be cheaper than conventional medicine.” Senator Harkin reviewed the research that points not only to the efficacy of natural medicine but also its focus on wellness and prevention, which can potentially serve to save billions of dollars by reversing the disease process, by finding the cause of the problem, rather than masking symptoms with drugs that serve to create another set of symptoms. Four out of six American adults seek out alternative medicine because it is what they value and most dollars spent up to this point of time have been out of pocket.
We have yet to see if the new Affordable Care Act will improve our lives or make it more difficult through mandates, taxes, and increased policy prices. On the positive side, it is offering possibilities to citizens who value “wellness achieved without a prescription” as it looks like our citizens will now have a greater opportunity to choose the type of medicine that they feel the most comfortable with.
If you wish to write a postcard to Monica Lindeen’s office to remind her to include licensed alternative physicians in the new insurance policies, her address is Monica Lindeen Commissioner, 840 Helena Ave., Helena, MT 59601.
