What can't insurance pay for alternative medicine treatments?

1. 96

   rmcrayneposted 12 years ago

   What can't insurance pay for alternative medicine treatments?
   
   What would it take for society to embrace natural and alternative medicine, so that insurance would pay for it?  When will we be able to go to Naturopaths, Homeopaths, Herbalists, Chiropractors, etc, and have the same coverage as MD visits?

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2. 71

   eye sayposted 12 years ago

   because they work, so the pharmaceutical companies won't in turn support the insurance companies,
   that's what I figure anyway

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3. 0

   Curiadposted 12 years ago

   The inumerable laws governing the medical industry and the medical insurance industry are complex and based almost entirely on the recomendations of the pharmacetuical companies demands. The FDA as well as other governmental agencies, are controlled by the big money corporations and bend to the desires of the bigest donators.
   
   What it would take, is for the medical professionals to seperate themselves from the pharmacetuical companies, and to begin acting on their expirences with the patients and their training rather than acting on the input of these companies.

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4. 84

   Jewelsposted 12 years ago

   In Australia you can get private medical insurance cover which entitles you to claim on alternate therapies such as myotherapy, reflexology, kinesiology, Chinese & Western herbalism, exercise physiology, shiatsu, aromatherapy, homeopathy, Bowen therapy & Alexander technique.  The cover is not the same and it is in the "extras" category. 
   
   The insurance companies saw dollar signs in alternative health - mainly because so many in Australia do it.  Many practitioners in the mainstream medical profession confess conventional medicine doesn't have all the answers, in fact it has very few.  As such there are many who practice alternative in conjunction with mainstream.  That rocks!
   
   It appears only hospital and medical cover is seen as normal.  Dental is in our 'extras" coverage which I find ridiculous and of course it is ridiculous.  But Insurance Companies are set up to make profits not to help people.  Don't ever think it's any different.
   
   A solution is to not expect cover and to stay healthy with a good lifestyle - food, exercise and meditation.  Additionally learn an alternative skill like shiatsu for example and have a swap thing going on. Always handy.
   
   The mainstream medical profession is unfortunately lacking integrity. As Curiad mentioned: doctors need to take their hands out of the pharmaceutical companies pockets and get back to the first rule of medicine "do no harm."    The large percentage of deaths now being caused by medications shows the "do no harm" principal has gone out the window.  And considering you can get vaccinations at Walmart with a McDonalds coupon speaks volumes on the degradation of the medical industry.  It's no longer a profession, it's an industry.
   
   I've come to the conclusion also, that to change this industry, you have to stop relying on it.

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5. 94

   Faceless39posted 12 years ago

   Because the whole point of Western medicine is to get you to support the Pharmaceuticals racket.

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6. 93

   greatstuffposted 12 years ago

   Completely agree with eye say, Faceless39 and Curiad. The whole industry is one big 'mafia'. Even simple report on the health benefits of fruits, such as pomegranate,  will be shot down as not enough evidence etc.

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7. 65

   rsusanposted 12 years ago

   Here in South Africa some medical aids are now covering these visits, just as they would regular MD visits. That's progress. So, here we can shop around until we find an option that allows for that. More and more folks are looking into these alternatives.
   
   Unfortunately medical aids still won't pay for any supplements, so the 'natural medicine' concept hasn't reached that far yet! A pity, but perhaps that will also come in time. We should have the freedom to choose alternative medicine and supplements if we prefer.

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8. 61

   Shona Venterposted 12 years ago

   Unfortunately the pharmaceutical companies are wanting the monopoly on the 'healing market.' In my opinion, there should be no 'market' for healing, because God gave us the plants and herbs to use for natural healing. He didn't give us chemical pharmaceutical products which do more harm than good.
   
   Medial aids probably also receive kickbacks from the pharmaceutical companies for using and prescribing their products, and of course they wouldn't receive the same from simply prescribing a herbal (and safe) alternative.
   
   The pharmaceutical companies also don't want us to get healed, because they then wouldn't make any money out of us...

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9. 61

   btambergposted 12 years ago

   Its not just the pharmaceutical companies that exert tremendous control over the insurance companies and our government but also the the American Medical Association ("AMA") which continues to view alternative medicine as quackery and a sham.

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10. 64

    artist101posted 11 years ago

    They are slowly realizing that natural approaches to health care are beneficial. Most insurance companies have started to cover some of the expense from chiropractors, the hands on therapy is covered, where as diagnostic procedures are not, such as xrays, and so forth. Do some of your own research, to lower your own medical expenses. Drink 1/2 of your body weight in water, it will help with fatigue, as well as muscle cramps. Take vitamin d, and cut your colds in half. Juicing aides digestion, and will go along way in helping to keep you well. A very easy way to get your 5 a day in fruits and vegetables, is packed full of anti oxidants, and beta glucans, if you include carrots, which will cut down on your cancer risk , as well as boosting immunity.

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