I think people should also be free to choose massage therapist as one of the available healthcare providers. It is important for us to work with medical doctors, chiropractors and others. I work with medical doctors and chiropractors. My services are then covered by insurance, the client’s deductible, and the client’s copay. Some insurance companies to do cover massage therapy, but their client want it. The massage therapy coverage should be an option in all medical and health insurance. As long as the massage therapist is certified, the insurance companies do not need to worry about quality. There are some of us who are not certified, but working on certification. These therapists still provide quality massages.
Original Post
April 4, 2011
Title: The Fate of Naturopathic Medicine, comment
Well, I guess it has begun or for some it continues to worsen. The Constitution was signed to provide us with many freedoms. One of those was supposed to be the freedom to make our own medical choices. We don’t have that in this country anymore. If we don’t go along with the “medical mafia” (as my father fondly refers to them) and pharmaceutical companies and their plan for our health care, we have to pay for everything out-of-pocket.
The health savings account (HSA), flexible spending accounts (FSA) were originally a way that many alternative medicines and practices could be covered under our health insurance via our employer. Now, as of January 1, 2011, you must go to your “approved health care provider” (HCP) and get prescriptions for any herbals or supplements you may be using to treat illness and medical problems. You must also pay for these items in advance and go through the time and paperwork and expense of seeing your approved HCP to get such items. Then, after all of that, some bureaucrat with the government and/or your insurance company decides whether or not this expense will be approved. I currently have botanical meds, supplements, dental work, and other medical bills (preventative medicine) pending approval before my employer health benefit bank (HSA, FSA) (excess of $2,300.00) will release the funds to pay for these.
I do understand the need to protect the public from unsafe practices and practitioners out there, but there has to be a better way to allow people to choose their own health care whether it be traditional medicine, acupuncture and TCM, naturopathic medicine, homeopathic medicine or even a shaman or folk healer. Why can there not be designated experts in these areas to help keep the public safe while still allowing them to make their own decisions about how to care for their own bodies. We have rights to our bodies when we want to choose to terminate a life inside of us, but are losing our rights at an alarming rate to prevent illness and restore health in our bodies. (p.s. my father is now 80 years old, in excellent health and on no synthetic meds, he eats natural whole foods, does not smoke, likes an occasion beer or glass of wine and still enjoys operating his farm and carpentry.)
Original Post
May 17, 2010
Title: The Fate of Naturopathic Medicine
With all the buzz around about President Obama’s healthcare plan, how will this impact Naturopathic medicine and better yet, will there still be such a thin as a health savings account?
Currently, in regards to healthcare in this country, the only way I could benefit from by employers healthcare benefit for me was to have a high deductible insurance plan that would cover me in the event of a catastrophic illness or accident and adding a health savings account. Since I do not use traditional medicine very often, the high deductible insurance with it’s low monthly cost can provide some coverage for me if needed. I added a health savings account which I contribute fifty dollar to each month that is matched by my employer. They also started me off with one thousand dollars to be used over the first year until I could accrue more money on my own to offset the cost of doctor visits, hospital costs, vision and dental exams and prescription drugs, etc. I was able to use this money to cover the cost of thing that I use for medical treatment such as chiropractic adjustments, medical massage, nutritional supplements and even most of the bulk herbs I use.
This has worked out very well me myself and my family over the past few years. What will happen when Obama’s healthcare plan goes into effect. I fear that not only will I being paying for healthcare I might rarely be able to use, but also paying more as a nurse who currently is being considered high risk on the plan and more money will be taken from my paycheck. Also as a hospice nurse, currently, Obama’s plan is to either drastically cut the hospice benefit or possibly eliminate it all together. My field of nursing may also be eliminated.
The US Constitution promised us many freedoms. Many of these freedoms have been amended to suit the government and not the people. Certainly, the freedom to chose our own form of healthcare has not been provided for fairly in the past and it seems now will be restricted even more. Are there any thoughts on a course of action to help people who choose a more natural approach to medical care?
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