Alt-medicine practitioners look for shield
Amanda Battaglia - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 2/22/07 Section: Metro
- Page 1 of 1
Iowa City resident Karen Fox has practiced reiki - a Japanese stress-reduction technique - for eight years, and she opened a Coralville clinic in July 2006. Even though she's certified, she can't get a state-issued license for her alternative-medicine practice, leaving her unprotected from lawsuits and other potential penalties.
But a pending bill in the state Legislature could shield Fox and others without licenses who practice various types of alternative medicine.
"People are clearly turning to alternative health care," said Fox, who is the master teacher at the Spiral of Light Energy Alignment, 107 Fifth St. "It would be great to help people get access to what they want."
The Iowa Health Freedom Act would protect currently unlicensed alternative-medicine practitioners. Sen. Jack Hatch, D-Des Moines, one of the bill's sponsors, said it would protect everything from spiritual to acupressure healing, which involves applying pressure to acupuncture points on the body.
"There is a feeling that providers are being prevented from their services because someone will sue, so they are afraid to practice" Hatch said. "It has been a long battle."
This is the third year the bill has been proposed.
Hatch said the measure would offer more health-care options to the public. A 2004 survey showed 36 percent of U.S. adults used some form of alternative medicine, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine website.
But Michael Mandel, the associate executive director of the Iowa Physical Therapy Association, doesn't agree with the pending legislation.
"There are no safeguards for the public in the bill," he said, pointing to the misuse of protection through false advertising as one concern. "Giving open licensure to anyone … is not a good law."
The bill does state that nonlicensed health-care providers would be required to state their type of health care and treatment, prior schooling or experience, and that they do not have licenses.
Jan Hein, an office specialist in the Office of Acupuncture of Iowa Inc., said she's confident Iowans who practice alternative health care without licenses don't advertise their services unless they're well-trained.
"Most practitioners feel safe with the treatment because right now it's word-of-mouth, especially in this area," she said, adding the bill would be most beneficial for consumers. "I think we're pretty safe in the Midwest."
Candida Maurer, a UI adjunct assistant professor, is a certified healing-touch practitioner. She said the proposed legislation is generally a good idea if the correct guidelines are carried out to benefit the public.
"The question is really ensuring that the public is receiving competent treatment," she said, adding she's worried about who is getting protection.
Maurer said alternative medicines such as herbalism - using plants to treat various ailments -are practiced in about a dozen U.S. states that require national certifications.
As long as the practitioners would be well-qualified in their area of treatment, Maurer is optimistic about the bill.
"I would say I'm in favor of it being used. It's beneficial to assure the level of competency," she said. "Overall, it's probably a good thing for Iowa."
E-mail DI reporter Amanda Battaglia at:
amanda-battaglia@uiowa.edu
Iowa Health Freedom Act stipulations
- Provides more freedom to those practicing alternative forms of medicine, such as the healing arts
- Would require practitioners to present type of health treatments available
- Would require practitioners to disclose past education and specialty in the area of health offered
- Does not apply to providers using any form of invasive treatments, X-ray radiation, or those administering drugs which require the prescription of a licensed health-care provider
But a pending bill in the state Legislature could shield Fox and others without licenses who practice various types of alternative medicine.
"People are clearly turning to alternative health care," said Fox, who is the master teacher at the Spiral of Light Energy Alignment, 107 Fifth St. "It would be great to help people get access to what they want."
The Iowa Health Freedom Act would protect currently unlicensed alternative-medicine practitioners. Sen. Jack Hatch, D-Des Moines, one of the bill's sponsors, said it would protect everything from spiritual to acupressure healing, which involves applying pressure to acupuncture points on the body.
"There is a feeling that providers are being prevented from their services because someone will sue, so they are afraid to practice" Hatch said. "It has been a long battle."
This is the third year the bill has been proposed.
Hatch said the measure would offer more health-care options to the public. A 2004 survey showed 36 percent of U.S. adults used some form of alternative medicine, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine website.
But Michael Mandel, the associate executive director of the Iowa Physical Therapy Association, doesn't agree with the pending legislation.
"There are no safeguards for the public in the bill," he said, pointing to the misuse of protection through false advertising as one concern. "Giving open licensure to anyone … is not a good law."
The bill does state that nonlicensed health-care providers would be required to state their type of health care and treatment, prior schooling or experience, and that they do not have licenses.
Jan Hein, an office specialist in the Office of Acupuncture of Iowa Inc., said she's confident Iowans who practice alternative health care without licenses don't advertise their services unless they're well-trained.
"Most practitioners feel safe with the treatment because right now it's word-of-mouth, especially in this area," she said, adding the bill would be most beneficial for consumers. "I think we're pretty safe in the Midwest."
Candida Maurer, a UI adjunct assistant professor, is a certified healing-touch practitioner. She said the proposed legislation is generally a good idea if the correct guidelines are carried out to benefit the public.
"The question is really ensuring that the public is receiving competent treatment," she said, adding she's worried about who is getting protection.
Maurer said alternative medicines such as herbalism - using plants to treat various ailments -are practiced in about a dozen U.S. states that require national certifications.
As long as the practitioners would be well-qualified in their area of treatment, Maurer is optimistic about the bill.
"I would say I'm in favor of it being used. It's beneficial to assure the level of competency," she said. "Overall, it's probably a good thing for Iowa."
E-mail DI reporter Amanda Battaglia at:
amanda-battaglia@uiowa.edu
Iowa Health Freedom Act stipulations
- Provides more freedom to those practicing alternative forms of medicine, such as the healing arts
- Would require practitioners to present type of health treatments available
- Would require practitioners to disclose past education and specialty in the area of health offered
- Does not apply to providers using any form of invasive treatments, X-ray radiation, or those administering drugs which require the prescription of a licensed health-care provider
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Steve Wieland
posted 2/22/07 @ 10:18 AM CST
Perhaps instead of complaining to the government, these people should produce verifiable evidence that their methods work. In this context, "alternative medicine" and "legitimate medicine" are antonyms. (Continued…)
Laura Christensen`
posted 3/05/07 @ 7:02 PM CST
I think one very important point was missing from this article. The most important purpose of the bill is to protect people practicing alternative medicine from being accused of practicing medicine without a license. (Continued…)
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