Originally Published September 21, 2004 -- Your Wellness
Guide
Alternative Medicine
Trends Point to New Future
Special Consumer Wellness Series 2 of 2
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Look
for
Part 1 of this Special Consumer Wellness
Series by clicking
here.
|
Continuing
with this final installment in a two-part consumer wellness series
on alternative medicine trends, today’s column talks about
complementary care’s ability to reduce costs and new healthcare
policies that may alter unconventional healthcare usage in the U.S.
Complementary Therapies Reduces Costs
“It’s simply an economic issue. Stress costs money,” says David Boyd of
the
Center for Health and Healing at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Los
Angeles. “In the U.S. alone, hundreds of billions of dollars are lost due
to stress disorders, such as getting colds more frequently, loss of
short-term memory, decreased productivity, and increased absenteeism. And
holistic medicine, used on a regular basis, might be able to reduce some
long-term health costs caused by stress.” |
Boyd is not
alone in considering that Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has
the potential to not only help the economy and your pocket book but also
improve your quality of life. Recent reports of corporate wellness
programs tell the story of companies who are trying to save money on
healthcare and employee costs by focusing on prevention and more
alternative options.
For example,
the Dole Food Company rewards employees in California for participating in
on-site yoga classes. Duke University staff are given perks if they
volunteer to track their daily physical activities. Employees at Xerox in
Connecticut can get up to $200 off their yearly premiums if they fill out
a health assessment survey and submit to a health coach, if needed.
Dr. Pam
Popper, a naturopath in Columbus, Ohio, works with corporations to help
them reduce healthcare utilization through implementing lifestyle-change
programs or through offering alternative care options. “Every time you
get someone off prescription drugs, it helps the bottom line,” says
Popper, who is also a strong advocate for educating the consumer on
complementary care.
“My
experience is that (alternative medicine) is exploding,” says Dr. Robert
Schneider, who oversees the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention
(www.mum.edu/inmp).
The Institute has found conclusive evidence that alternative medicine
reverses and regresses cardiovascular problems with a 30 percent reduction
in risk, saving thousands of dollars on emergency and hospital care.
Health
insurance companies are also getting on board. Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota just announced a new health
assessment/coaching program called Blueprint for Health Custom Solutions
that rewards employees for healthy behaviors and focuses on improving
health.
“Creating
and maintaining a healthy workplace is key to attracting and retaining
employees as well as managing healthcare costs. Custom Solutions enables
companies to measure improvements in their work forces’ well-being year
over year,” says Dr. James Woodburn, disease management medical director
for Blue Cross. The program includes an
assessment that helps direct employees to existing health improvement
programs, such as “Stress Relief” or “Get in Shape,” that have proven to
reduce emergency room visits and hospital stays for employees. In
addition, several new components have been added, such as health club
discounts and phone counseling for weight loss, nutrition, and other
health goals.
Healthcare
System Changes
The Harvard Business Review published an extensive report in June 2004
called “Curing U.S. Healthcare” in which the report’s authors encouraged
(among many reforms) increased competition (no single-payer
system), the disappearance of restrictions to choice of treatment and
network, and reasonable co-pays and large deductibles combined with
medical savings accounts. These recommendations are starting to take
hold, with the recent introduction of the Health Savings Account (HSA)
system endorsed by President George W. Bush.
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“By
2010, more than half of the insured will have some type of HSA
coverage,” says JoAnn Mills Laing, author of the new, excellent
resource book The Small Business Guide to HSAs and the
founder of
www.hsafinder.com. Indeed, the
current Internal Revenue Service Publication 502 sets the stage for
reimbursement of a broad array of alternative care, including
acupuncture, that is expected to have a broadening effect on what
insurance companies pay for in the future. “The IRS will probably
broaden 502’s list for 2005,” notes Laing, who says herbals and
massage therapy should be added.
Dr. Paul
Mittman, president of the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and
Health Sciences (www.scnm.edu),
thinks HSAs will increasingly play a prominent role in complementary
healthcare. |
“HSAs, for
the first time, make alternative medicine completely equal in a very
complete way,” says Health Policy Expert J.B. Silvers of Case Western
Reserve University. “You can walk around as a consumer with a lot of
spending power, and a lot of these dollars will be going into alternative
medicine.”
Additional
HSA information is found at
www.HSAinsider.com. Support of Association Health Plans,
which would further drive down health insurance costs is found at
www.AHPsNow.com.
Look
for
Part 1 of this Special Consumer Wellness
Series by clicking
here.
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Wellington
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Wellington