March 9, 2005 - Columbus Business First by Tony Goins
A group of Republicans and alternative medicine providers came
together Tuesday to introduce a bill to decriminalize
alternative medicine in Ohio.
The bill, known as the Consumer Health Freedom Act, would allow
alternative medical providers to practice as long as they
provide full disclosure to patients.
Under the existing law, alternative health-care providers can
face fifth-degree felony charges for the unlicensed practice of
medicine, according to the Ohio State Medical Board's Web site.
The board does license massage therapists and acupuncturists,
however.
"Each of us is responsible for our own health and possesses our
own body wisdom," said Rep. Linda Reidelbach, R-Columbus. "If
someone wants and needs to seek complementary or alternative
health-care services, those services should be accessible."
The bill entered the Ohio House with 23 sponsors, all
Republicans. Reidelbach said she sponsored the bill because she
supports alternative health care and because it limits
government regulation.
The House bill would apply to a variety of alternative health
disciplines, including herbalism, nutrition counseling,
traditional Chinese medicine, reiki, which is a healing-touch
practice, and Ayurveda, an ancient form of medicine practiced
in India.
Alternative medical providers would have to provide each
patient with a consent form detailing the exact services they
can provide and the theories on which theyare based. The form
would state that alternative health-care practitioners are not
licensed by the state.
Under the bill, alternative health-care providers would be
barred from prescribing drugs, injecting clients and performing
surgery. They would also not be allowed to tell patients to
ignore advice given by licensed medical doctors.
Licensed medical doctors aren't planning to support the
proposal, said Tom Maglione, senior director of government
relations for the Ohio State Medical Association.
Although the association hasn't reviewed the bill, it worries
about unlicensed doctors. After all, Maglione said the state
doesn't allow unlicensed engineers to build bridges.
Then, in the end, the person who really loses is the patient,"
Maglione said. The state medical board also worries about
unlicensed practitioners, said Executive Director Tom Dilling.
When the board finds out about alternative health
practitioners, it usually does an investigation and sends a
cease-and-desist letter. It can refer cases to local prosecutors
for criminal charges.
But Western medicine doesn't always have the answers, said Pam
Popper, founder and executive director of the Wellness Forum, a
group supporting the bill. Popper cited the large numbers of
deaths caused by pharmaceuticals such as Vioxx.
"We certainly can understand why someone with arthritis would
be looking for other alternatives," Popper said.
Four other states have passed similar acts, Popper said:
California, Rhode Island, Minnesota and Idaho. Medical boards
in those states leave most alternative practitioners alone,
although they have haven't been shy about shutting down harmful
practitioners.
"When the boards can no longer go after people for just being
there, they're free to go after those who are doing something
wrong," Popper said.
Alternative medicine practices are becoming more common,
Reidelbach said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta
estimates 74.1 percent of Americans have used alternative
health practices. Ohio State University Medical Center told
Business First in February it is setting up a Center for
Integrative Medicine, which would bring together many
alternative specialties.
