Chandler Ainsworth

Ethics
Professor Jeffrey Sellars
March 17th, 2015

Alternative Medicine Should be a Covered Benefit

Have you ever had acupuncture? Gone to a chiropractor? Had a professional massage? Or
even done a little yoga? All of these are considered to be Alternative or Complimentary
Alternative Medicines (CAM), and although many people experience positive results, most
forms of alternative medicines are not covered by insurance companies because they are not
considered Conventional medicines. The reason is that there is insufficient proof that they are
safe or effective (National Institutes of Health). So why do people choose alternative medicines?
Alternative medicine is generally termed as a form of health care that is not part of the
conventional world and is to be used instead of Conventional medicine, while Complimentary
Alternative Medicine is used alongside Conventional medicine therapies. The top reasons why
people choose CAM are because patients are dissatisfied with conventional treatments, people
believe that their current conventional treatments have either been ineffective, have had adverse
effects, see them as impersonal, too technologically oriented, or the cost is too high. CAM
therapies are also sought out because they are seen as more compatible with patients values,
world views, spiritual/ religious philosophy, or beliefs regarding how health and illness work.
The greatest reason for why people continue the use of these therapies is because they are getting
consistent relief of their symptoms (Astin).CAM therapies can be broken down into five
categories:

Whole Medical Systems: This includes homeopathic medicine, naturopathic medicine,

chiropractic, traditional Chinese medicine, and Ayurveda (Niggemann). These types of

therapy would be used for diagnosing, and fully treating and injury or illness.
Mind-Body Interventions: Meditation, prayer, mental healing, art, dance, and music

therapy (Niggemann).
Biologically Based Therapies: herbs, vitamins, dietary supplements, health foods, and

aromatherapy.
Manipulative and Body Based Methods: Chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, and

massage (Niggemann).
Energy Therapies (Bio field Therapies and Bio electromagnetic Base Therapies): Reiki,
Qi Gong, therapeutic touch, and electromagnetic fields (Niggemann).

The most prevalent problems treated by CAM are musculoskeletal issues such as, back pain,
neck pain, joint pain, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. To treat these issues, manipulative and body
based methods such as chiropractic and massage therapies are often used (National Institutes of
Health). Interestingly, these are two of the most commonly approved CAM therapies covered by
insurance plans, while others are paid out of pocket. The other form of CAM that is most often
used (but usually not covered by insurance) is non-vitamin, non-mineral, natural products such
as: fish oil, omega 3, DHA, glucosamine, Echinacea, flaxseed oil, and ginseng (National
Institutes of Health). These therapies help with many conditions including heart health, immune
support, energy, and joint pain, all conditions that we can agree are very common among
American adults.
I can understand why many people would feel unsure about using alternative medicines,
since there is not a large amount of research done on the Adverse effects (ADRs), and many of
our physicians are not trained in the use or benefits of these therapies. While there are some

naturopathic and CAM physicians, not all states require them to be licensed and I agree that this
could be seen as an unsafe practice. Studies show that 30%-50% of the adult population in
industrialized nations use some form of CAM to prevent or treat health related issues, for this
reason doctors should be learning enough about these therapies to keep their patients safe. After
all, if the patient feels that they are getting relief they may use CAM regardless of what their
physician recommends (Arch Intern Med). If a patient were to see or be referred to a
Naturopathic doctor, this doctor would treat the physical, biochemical, nutritional, emotional,
social, and spiritual side of the illness being presented through the use of non-vitamin, nonmineral, natural products, deep breathing, meditation, chiropractic sessions, yoga, massage, diet
and a healthy life-style (National Institutes of Health). Although these seem like harmless
therapies, CAM can adversely react with prescription medication, which brings me back to why
it is so important to be open with your doctor about your chosen therapies and be comfortable
that your physician has the knowledge needed to make certain these therapies are safe.
On average, 2.2 million adverse reactions (ADRs) occur due to the use of prescribed drugs,
20 million unnecessary antibiotics are prescribed, 7.5 million unnecessary medical and surgical
procedures are done, and 8.9 million unnecessary hospitalizations occur each year. This results in
783,936 deaths per year caused by conventional medicine in the United States, putting American
medical systems at the number one cause of death and injury in the U.S (Life Extension
Magazine). One cause for this high injury/death rate is because most prescription drugs are tested
on healthy individuals who are not taking any other prescription medications. Then these drugs
are put on the market, and used by people who are most likely not at their peak health and are
taking other prescription drugs (Life Extension Magazine). The end result is adverse reactions
from mixed medications, because those factors were not fully covered in the preliminary testing.

Insurance companies do not want to cover CAMs because they are not tested well enough, but
the same could go for prescription drugs since they do not cover all of the variables. There was a
study conducted by The Evaluation of Anthroposophical Medicine (EvaMed) Pharmacovigilance
Network in Germany from January 2004 to June 2009. This study was conducted to observe the
rate of ADRs by the use of CAM and Conventional therapies prescribed by seven physicians. In
this study there were a combined total of 392,243 CAM and Conventional drugs prescribed to a
total of 25,996 patients. The physicians reported a total of 327 serious and non-serious adverse
reactions, (this equals to only 0.08% of the people in the study) only 10 (3.1%) of these reactions
were serious. 213,900 of the drugs administered were CAM and resulted in only 95 adverse
reactions, while 178,343 of the drugs administered were Conventional medicine and resulted in
232 adverse reactions (Wong). This study shows that CAM therapies can be harmful, but
Conventional medicine proves to be more harmful yet it is still covered by insurance policies.
We live in a country that is based on the freedom of choice; however, the medical system is
monopolized by Conventional medicines. People should have the right to choose how they want
to be medically treated, and not confined to what a particular insurance company deems
appropriate and affective. When it comes to patients battling cancer, the usual rout of treatment is
surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Chemotherapy alone comes with a long list of side effects
including; nausea, vomiting, blood disorders, effects on the nervous system, and a string of longterm effects (cancer.net). Is it ethical to tell these patients that they cannot get chiropractic,
massage, acupuncture, or vitamin and mineral supplements to help with them cope with the
damage done to their bodies from the chemotherapy? I dont believe it is. People with terminal or
debilitating illnesses should be allowed the opportunity to explore all routes of treatment,
whether it be to treat their illness, injury, mind, body, or soul, these options should not be taken

away from them due to the lack of financial help from insurance. Even if a person is not
suffering from a terminal illness, we should all be able to choose what type of healing we would
like to experience. Some people take comfort in knowing that a drug has been approved by the
FDA and is widely recommended by top physicians, while others would rather only treat their
bodies with natural products and remedies. And even more, some people feel that they would
benefit from the combined use of Conventional and CAM therapies, all in all it should be the
patients choice along with the guidance of a physician not the choice of an insurance
company.
I did not write this paper to condemn Conventional medicine and praise Complimentary
Alternative medicines, but rather to bring to light that there are benefits to the use of CAM alone
and alongside Conventional medicine and that there are risks associated with each. I also wanted
to shine light on the fact that our medical system is not perfect; we do not have the medical
freedoms that we should have when it comes to our health. Too much emphasis is put on the
benefits of Conventional medicine while often leaving out the risks, and the benefits of CAM are
usually overlooked. By not allowing these therapies to be covered, insurance companies are
keeping patients from knowing if there are more options for relief after they have used all
covered recourses. If there was one thing that I would like you to take away from this
presentation, it would be; if you had a loved one battling a terminal illness, wouldnt you want
them to be able to use every outlet available for healing and relief? I am guessing that the
majority of you would say yes, this is why it is imperative that Complimentary Alternative
Medicines be implemented into all insurance policies.

Works Cited
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Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics; and Richard L. Nahin, Ph.D., M.P.H.,
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of
Health, December 10, 2008. Date accessed March 6th, 2015
3. Astin JA, Marie A, Pelletier KR, Hansen E, Haskell WL. A Review of the Incorporation
of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Mainstream Physicians. Arch Intern
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6th, 2015
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accessed March 6th, 2015
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accessed March 6th 2015
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