Alternative Medicine
Alternative MedicineThe health care industry has a variety of policies and
standards regarding coverages for alternative medicine
modalities. From a sociological standpoint, unconventional,
alternative, or unorthodox therapies refer to medical practices
that are not in conformity with the standards of the medical
community. The New England Journal of Medicine defines
unconventional therapies, �as medical interventions not taught
widely at U.S. medical schools or generally available at U.S.
hospitals. Examples include acupuncture, chiropractic, and
massage therapy�(1993). Coverages vary widely among conventional
carriers, preferred providers as well as the omnipresent Health
Maintenance Organizations (�HMO�). The primary emphasis and, for
that matter, the only reason for the existence of insurance
companies is a single word, profit. More specifically, premiums
less costs provide the all important profit margin, the life
blood of the insurance industry. By not providing coverage for
the billion dollar industry of alternative treatments, insurance
companies are keeping the cost of the premiums down but at the
same time not allowing their customers to use complementary
treatments such as chiropractic to prevent or cure illness. The
more rigid and restrictive the policy provisos, the more
assurance for the companies that they will maximize their bottom
lines. Therefore, patients of alternative therapies as well as
doctors must show that such unconventional treatment provides
relief and prevention of illness. �The total projected out-of-
pocket expenditure for unconventional therapy plus
supplements(such as diet pills and megavitamins)was 10.3 billion
dollars in 1990. This is comparable to the out-of-pocket
expenditure for all hospital care in the United States in
1990($12.8 billion), and it is nearly half the amount spent out
of pocket for all physicians� services in the United States($23.5
billion)�(nemj,1991). From this one may infer that society has
become fed up with inadequate results or side effects associated
with surgery and drugs which accompany the treatment of modern
medicine. So, in an effort to cope with the inadequate treatment
patients are receiving from conventional medicine, they are
seeking alternatives such as chiropractic for chronic illness and
pain. �Although most doctors wince when you mention
chiropractors, some fairly rigorous studies have shown their
manipulations of the spine to be effective in relieving lower-
back pain. Orthopedic surgeons have even been known to refer
patients to chiropractors, and some 30 U.S. hospitals have
chiropractors on staff�(Wallis,1991).
Relevant Policies and/or Practices
�In 1997, 42 percent of all alternative therapies used were
exclusively attributed to treatment of existing illness, whereas
58 percent were used to prevent future illness from occurring or
to maintain health and vitality� (JAMA, 1998). �The magnitude of
demand for alternative therapy is noteworthy, in light of the
relatively low rates of insurance coverage for these services�
(JAMA, 1998). Coverages vary widely depending on the policies
provided by the carriers. In my research, I contacted the Kern
County Superintendent of Schools, (�KCSOS�), Personnel Office to
inquire into the health policies provided to the...
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