A year after President Obama signed into law the patient protection and affordable law, many Americans are still struggling to get their insurance to cover basic medical treatment. A new report from Deloitte and Oxford Economics found that consumers spent more than $ 363 billion health care in 2009 than official statistics held----mismatch almost 15%.
Medical expenses include the actual purchase outside of conventional therapy and treatment, "as well as other products and services not covered by insurance and care for others. Show joins a growing body of evidence that more Americans often explore less costly alternatives to the traditional Western medicine.
According to 2007 national health interview survey, which polled Americans about their use of so-called complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) that 150 000 children and adults have used acupuncture United States 3.1 million the previous year. And in the five years prior to the survey, the use of acupuncture--traditional Asian medical equipment, is formally to integrate thin needles at scalp level, in key areas of the body-adult United States at 0.3%, or about 1 million people.
Obtaining coverage for acupuncture
Acupuncture, once considered exotic in the United States, has been around long enough to become a federal regulation. Practitioners should use needles and manufactured in conformity with the standards of the United States food and drug administration, which require needles "be sterile, nontoxic and labeled for single use, qualified practitioners only.
Acupuncture has been used for centuries to treat a wide range of diseases, including chronic pain, depression, menstrual irregularities, infertility and weight loss. Specific procedures from licensed acupuncturists can cost anywhere from $ 25 to $ 65 dollars or more per session.
Although most employer-sponsored health plans Cover may cover physicals, drug and mental health, only about half--according to the 2004 Kaiser Family Foundation survey--cover acupuncture, chiropractic care and treatment of other CAM.
However, the reluctance of insurance companies to cover licensed acupuncture treatment may vary. For the ninth consecutive year, the Republic of Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) introduced legislation that would add acupuncture to the list of services covered by Medicare and the Federal employees health benefits program participants.
"Although the national institutes of health found acupuncture effective treatment for certain serious illnesses and conditions, 52 million Medicare and federal employees do not have guaranteed access to treatment, Mike Hinchey Morosi, Press Secretary, wrote in an email."Congressman Hinchey federal law would soon be resumed, which will provide coverage of acupuncture that those who need help are not forced to choose more expensive, invasive and risky treatment with a long list of side effects just because does not cover acupuncture. "
Identification of problems
Colorado legislators also are working on a measure that would make it easier for licensed acupuncturists to receive insurance indemnity. Many patients, presumably covered by acupuncture treatment continue to deviate from its insurers, said State Senator Lucía Guzmán, a sponsor of a bill that adds that Bill opened rift between some carriers and their bureaucracy.
"Some insurance companies I mentioned were dumbfounded, she says. "They said" we'll talk about that. "but then when we got into it, we found that when someone gets to the end of the billing Department, it's like, ' no, the reason we don't pay for it because it wasn't license [acupuncturist]. .. they are not included in this list of licensed persons. "
Acupuncture treatment can vary in length, having anywhere from a few weeks to several months. But even insurance companies that cover acupuncture usually limit the number of annual visits to their patients.
"There are some that give you [limit] 20 treatments per year," said Jones, Director of Parago clinic at Colorado School of traditional Chinese medicine in Denver. "I think they are trying to appease some of its customers, giving real basic [acupuncture lighting]--as the provision of basic cable television. It's kind of like, why even have it? I think the insurance carrier, which gives you only 20 sessions per year isn't giving you much at all ".
Jones recommends that consumers educate themselves because of their acupuncture available to local practitioners and available treatments. He also believes there is room for American health as Western medicine, and legitimate, alternative treatments like acupuncture. "We are in the process of these two worlds, which slowly merge", he says, and there's still a lot of thrill--at least in the West--about what we do and what we know and what is the best of this medicine. "
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