Should alternative therapies be included in insured health care programs?

Cinnamon used to reduce sugar levels but with negligible results, if any, according to science

Carol Forsloff--Around 10 per cent of the money spent on health care in the United States is on alternative medicine and that percentage is growing rapidly.  How does this fit into the health care debate and should these alternative therapies be part of insurance costs and government sanctions?

If the new Congress overturns Obama's health care program, how will this impact what is accepted or not accepted in any new program that may be adopted?

These are some of the questions people seek to have answered, as they embrace an ever-increasing number of alternative remedies outside of traditional medicine.

Herbal remedies and other alternative therapies are used by a variety of people. Some take traditional medicine and add to it with alternatives. So people may have their family practitioner and a massage therapist for that bad shoulder and herbal remedies for sleep. That 10 per cent that people spend on alternatives goes for different things and for different reasons asBlack America Web pointed out in its lifestyle feature some years ago.

What research has found is that as the cost of traditional medicine has increased, people turn more and more to alternative therapies they find may be cheaper and some believe more efficient and accessible. These natural remedies lead some people to relying on alternatives because they can’t afford to see the doctor and turn to non traditional methods of healing as well. So why not rely on brother Bob up the street who teaches physical conditioning and sells herbal medications on the side along with his massage practice? That’s what some people consider when they have to make decisions these days.

But the question remains, in addition to costs, do alternative therapies work? KevinMD looks at the matter of alternative medicine to answer that question. Despite the bandwagon more and more people are leaping aboard, the doctor site maintains with respect to alternative therapies:

“Not only have they been shown not to work, the lack of FDA regulation surrounding supplements means that some of them may actually harm patients, or are laced with prescription drugs. In fact, the president of an independent lab that tests such products says, “one out of four supplements has a problem.
And worse, those who shun traditional medicine may be missing their last chance at treatment.”

Indeed there is that other side to the issue of alternative medicine.  Science has established that some alternatives can be helpful, but many therapies are not supported despite popular opinion.  For example, research has found that cinnamon, which is highly touted as a remedy for diabetes, has not been found to have any significant effect on factors related to diabetes, specifically reducing sugar levels.  Furthermore, because it inhibits clotting, in some European countries doctors counsel against taking it, as it has acts like warfarin and may be contraindicated especially when an individual is facing surgery.

Those who question the efficacy of alternative medicine caution people to be thoughtful and do their homework to find out about any specific alternative, as there are remedies that either do not work or that interfere with other treatments.  So while traditional medicine may have its drawbacks, there are also concerns about alternative remedies, as either not working or actually causing harm.  

What causes people to embrace alternatives in the modern era in opposition to traditional medicine?  Experts tell us the struggle between traditional and alternative therapies has gone on for centuries.  The increase in acceptance of alternatives appeared as religions began to accept new ways of thinking and orthodox principles began to be questioned.  What one expert maintains is moral relativism and political correctness has also been another reason why people will accept alternative remedies without question while voicing concern about traditional medicine.

So while the debate rages about health care, this side issue continues to be part of the consideration Americans make when they can’t afford health care. The question is how much and how far will this continue, given the issues before the political decision makers today and will people continue to turn to alternative therapies which haven’t been proven successful?