I found the following excerpt on the web:
Insurance plans and managed care organizations are beginning to offer
reimbursement for alternative treatments. In fact,
coverage of chiropractic treatment is mandated by law in at least 45
states, acupuncture in 7 states, and naturopathy in 2 states
(16). Insurance plans which cover alternative health care often require
physician referral for these services, highlighting the
importance of physician awareness. One managed care company, Oxford Health
Plans in Norwalk, Connecticut, is planning to
cover alternative treatments, including some that use herbal remedies,
basing their decision on a survey showing that 33% of its
1.5 million members had sought alternative treatment in the last two years.
American Western Life Insurance Company based
in San Mateo, California, has a "prevention plus" plan that covers herbal
medicines. Industry analysts expect many other
insurance plans to follow suit to compete for this untapped multibillion
dollar market (16). Although reimbursement for herbal
medicines is in its infancy, it is expected to grow tremendously along with
the continued boom in sales of herbal products and
alternative health care in general. In Germany, herbs prescribed by
physicians are covered by insurance, whereas
over-the-counter herbs are not; and German physicians are much more
knowledgeable about their use (17). Physicians must
become familiar with herbal medicine, as more insurance companies will
expect their physicians to make referrals or suggest
herbal products.
Can you tell me what document this is from and where I might get a list of
the references used here?
Thank you,
Holly Hough
-----------------------------------------------------
Holly J. Hough, Ph.D.
Research Associate
UCSF Center for the Health Professions
3333 California Street, Suite 410
San Francisco, CA 94118
Phone: (415) 502-1173
Fax: (415) 476-4113
http://futurehealth.ucsf.edu
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