Needle in a haystack
According to the National Institutes of Health, 36% of Americans use alternative medicine as part of their health regimen. (Philadelphia's City Paper, July 9, 2008). Also known as complementary medicine or CAM, this covers acupuncture, herbal therapy and naturopathy, with treatments including chiropractic care, massage therapy, vitamin therapy, homeopathy, yoga and even hypnotherapy.
Yet, very few CAM treatments are covered by medical insurance, leaving patients to foot the bill themselves. For example, acupuncture typically runs $85 per session. There is some help by way of local clinics such as Philadelphia Community which is able to charge just $15 to $35, thanks to its use of blogs, social media and a how-to book for publicity. As with many alternative medicines, quite how acupuncture works is not known but it is steadily being recognized with more and more doctors agreeing that its benefits are positive - some even using it themselves.
Getting your back up
West Virginians are among many trending towards alternative medicine in the search for more health options. (The State Journal, June 5, 2008) These days you may well find an eco-friendly medical office that focuses exclusively on healthier living. You may find kitchens where patients can learn how to make fruit and vegetable juices, perhaps an infrared sauna, or rooms for mind-and-body work and chiropractic care or lesser-known treatments such as reflexology and iridology. With West Virginia emergency rooms ranked as some of the most crowded in the country, receiving complementary medicine may even be less stressful too. (MSNBC, July 1, 2008)
As the cost of health insurance continues to rise, alternative treatments represent a cost-effective method of healing, especially for young adults who often forego health insurance altogether. (The Charleston Gazette, July 6, 2008) In addition, patients between 30 and 55 prefer safe non-invasive holistic treatments that promote wellness and slow the aging process. These facts have not gone unnoticed by insurers who are gradually including a few of the more accepted natural remedies among their coverage options. Some states also mandate their inclusion. As of January 2008, the Council for Affordable Health Insurance listed 46 states with mandated coverage for chiropractors, though only 11 states include acupuncturists, just 4 states for massage therapists and 4 for naturopaths.
Massaging the numbers
Alternative medicine is becoming big business in the U.S. Americans made 628 million visits to alternative health-care providers in 2007, 243 million more than primary-care physicians. According to a study published by the Journal of American Medicine, that's $30 million out of their own pockets spent on complementary therapies.
It's worth noting that if not included as a specific benefit of your health insurance, some do offer discounted access to chiropractic, massage, acupuncture and naturopathy. It's easy to find out if your state mandates complementary and alternative medicine. Plus you can read more on the states referenced above at West Virginia Health Insurance and Pennsylvania Health Insurance, and all without getting bent out of shape.