 |
| Alternative Medicines and Health Insurance Coverage |
Many of us go straight for a can of soda for upset stomachs or chamomile tea to help us sleep. And while these home remedies often do the trick (whether by suggestion or by reality, who knows) there are many alternative medicines out there with a bit more authority to them. Unfortunately, many of these alternative therapies are not covered by health insurance policies.
What is Alternative Medicine?
Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) are therapies outside of the mainstream medical arena. Complementary medicine is used along with mainstream medical treatments, alternative is in place of medical treatment. Therapies like chiropractics, acupuncture, massage, tai chi, yoga or herbal treatments all fall into the CAM category. Some nutritional practices and diets can also be considered a form of alternative medicine.
According to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 36% of Americans use some form of alternative medicine. The survey found that Americans use alternative medicine for all sorts of ailments including back, neck, head, or joint aches, colds, anxiety or depression and sleeping problems.
Why Try Alternative Medicines?
The NHIS asked people to describe why they used complementary and alternative medicines. The most common response was that they thought alternative medicine would improve health when used with conventional medicines, followed by believing that alternative medicine would be interesting to try. Other reasons people tried alternative medicine was because they thought regular medical treatments wouldn't help, and that they are too expensive. Interestingly, 26% of respondents tried alternative medicine because their regular doctor recommended it.
Who Pays for Alternative Medicine?
According to the authors of the NHIS, the U.S. public spent an estimated $36 billion to $47 billion on CAM therapies-$12 billion to $20 billion of this was paid out-of-pocket.
There has been an increase in insurance coverage for certain alternative medicine treatments (such as chiropractic, acupuncture and massage therapy) because of an increase in consumer interest. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicines points out that if you are lucky enough to have an insurance policy that covers alternative medicine treatments, most likely you will have to pay higher deductibles.
Trying Alternative Medicine?
If you are going to try an alternative medical treatment, and are concerned about the cost, here are some questions to ask the practitioner:
If you have a health insurance plan, be sure to ask:
Saving Elsewhere So You Can Spend on Alternative Medicine
There are ways you can save money on health care insurance, better enabling you to pay for alternative medicines. You could raise your deductable, though you will pay more out of pocket should you need medical treatment. Another option is to compare health insurance plans. By comparing different plans you may find one better suited to you, one that includes some alternative medicine treatments, or one with lower premiums.