Like the LOHAS movement itself, integrative medicine is also on the rise despite recent economic trends and challenges.  As Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) becomes more mainstream, skeptics of integrative medicine have also become increasingly vocal.  Thousands of years and countless studies support the efficacy of treatment options within fields like Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), though often critics of holistic medicine focus their attention on newer, less researched, and less regulated fields that remain on the fringe of holistic medicine.  

In response, many CAM users may speak with an unyielding defense, enthusiasm, and "belief" in alternative medicine.  However, bundling the "fringes" of holistic alternative medicine along with more credible CAM options may actually confuse new patients about what is appropriate for their conditions.  Moreover, adamant "belief" of users may misrepresent the science and rigorous training of licensed CAM providers.  

Whether seeking to manage a chronic condition or support to maintain healthy lifestyles, there are a number of CAM alternatives that effectively meet patients' needs.  For companies seeking access to credentialed CAM providers, CAM PPO of America, Inc. offers access to a national network of CAM practitioners.  Because of the emphasis on healthy living through lifestyle management, including non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical alternatives, investing in integrative medicine options offers an innovative addition to an overall green business strategy.  

Millions of health care dollars are spend annually on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) procedures and products.   A recent study reveals that in the US alone more than $33 billion was spent in one year, a substantial portion of out of pocket spending.    

That’s no small figure, and that number has generated significant investment in evidence based research on holistic medicine.  While some types of CAM therapies have become available more widely in mainstream health care, there are still differences in access, availability, and type, and the general public may need support in identifying which procedures are best suited for specific concerns.  With so many people turning to integrative alternative medicine options, it's vital to remember that "health care consumers" are patients first.  

There are numerous considerations patients may want to consider before scheduling a visit with a CAM practitioner.  Similar to standard medicine, fields of expertise vary among CAM providers.  Additionally, from state to state, licensure variations impact the scope and availability of a number of alternative medicine practitioner types, making provider selection a matter of exceptional significance.

 In states without licensure for specific fields, for instance, patients are left with limited options and no guidance to confirm that a provider has met appropriate criteria, education, and qualifying exam passage to maintain a practice.  In unregulated fields, a patient may feel like they have little more than word of mouth and a provider's own marketing to find (self proclaimed) integrative medicine services.  Without licensure, a patient may simply look for the best deal rather than the best doctor, and that is probably not a healthy choice.  In fact, the "wrong medicine" may be worse than no medicine since it delays appropriate intervention and risks complications.


To take the guesswork out of integrative medicine provider selection for members, CAM PPO of America, Inc.developed a proprietary credentialing model designed exclusively for holistic alternative medicine.  When considering a holistic therapy, talk to your primary provider, who may be able to refer a qualified CAM professional.  Then learn what you can about the appropriate applications of the CAM treatments that interest you before scheduling appointments.  Check with your CAM providers about their qualifications: look for current licenses to practice, participation in professional associations that offer CMEs (continuing medical education hours), and inquire about their specific experience levels.  Remember that more training and professional expertise helps you make sure that your investment in healthy living is spent wisely.

Traditional health care coverage has been a mainstay of employer-sponsored health benefits for decades, even as costs hit four times the rate of inflation.  The surging expenses suggest that the current approach appears less than sustainable.  The costs become even more staggering when the human toll of illnesses are also calculated into the equation.  

For the majority of insured people, illnesses are diagnosed, codified, and approved for treatment through standard medical interventions and insurance protocols.  Since specific illnesses are typically required to qualify most expenses for eligible traditional care benefits, conscious consumers hoping to improve health before illness strikes are often left with few options.

As interest in health living tips employee interest toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), the research also suggests that integrative medicine has the potential to improve employee health and meet employee interest. 

Currently, integrative medicine is often paid out of pocket, despite consistent increases in interest and available research to support its effectiveness in preventing and managing whole health.  Surprisingly, even though smoking habits and obesity are linked to the top chronic ailments in the US, only about 9% of employers offer smoking cessation plans and a meager 6% offer weight loss programs within coverage.  To enhance social accountability a trend toward investing in preventive medicine and CAM  is predicted, and already more than 37% of hospitals have some CAM  therapies available.  LOHAS companies, in particular, may start looking for holistic alternatives and seeking socially responsible Investing options that improve employee health and preventive care through CAM  benefit programs.

Do fish need antidepressants? Well, they are getting them. Through un-metabolized human waste and the disposal of unused medications, numerous pharmaceuticals end up in waterways and soil tests all over the US.  Though chemical levels are in trace amounts, few studies have considered the potential harms that can result from long term exposure among humans and other species, or the impact these materials may have on the overall chemical load in the environment.  Currently, federal regulations require no testing and have no safety levels set for trace pharmaceuticals.  

Since these substances may interact in unpredictable ways with each other or water additives like chlorine, the LOHAS community may have some legitimate concerns about the trends for increased US prescription drug use.  This connects personal health choices and commitments to sustainability and environmental health to what happens when a patient enters a doctor’s office, especially among people looking for options to improve health through non-invasive, natural, and lifestyle oriented solutions.  Yet for those who inquire about stress management with the majority of conventional doctors, they may be more likely to receive advice about anti-anxiety prescription options than a suggestion about exercise or styles of yoga to try.  Though pharmaceuticals play a key role for some conditions, many people would prefer making lifestyle changes to improve their health when possible.  

The result of an exclusively traditional benefit plan may leave people opting for a lack of follow-up or no care at all if they prefer holistic alternatives.  For LOHAS companies, ideas are brewing over how to connect cost-effective benefit planning to corporate values by offering benefit plans that provide options to include types of care that employees want and need: care that focuses on preventive medicine and whole person health, like holistic or integrative medicine.  Investing in integrative medicine has the potential to capture the best of both fiscal and value-driven goals. 

As forms of integrative and alternative medicine become more widely available within mainstream health care, many people may find themselves confused about what the options are and who should be providing them.  If you're looking into finding new options to explore healthy living, you may also be wondering about how to ensure your health care is in appropriate hands.

Training and background varies among health care professionals, including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners.  As with any health care, it's important for patients to remember that qualifications matter very much.  You  wouldn't want your neighbor pulling your tooth just because he has a comfortable chair and a set of pliers, and conscious consumers like you probably wouldn't want to entrust the recommendation of herbs or supplements to just anyone either.  

A common misconception about holistic alternative medicine is that because it’s naturally based, it’s without risk.  With any medicinal products there can be interactions with prescriptions, side effects, and contraindications.  Only providers well versed in current research who have in depth education in CAM possess the credible knowledge to offer safe and effective treatments to patients. 

Licensure remains the gold standard for health care professions, even as holistic alternative medicine practitioner licensing varies from state to state.  Licensure ensures  that providers attended accredited education programs and qualifications are in sync with industry standards.  In the U.S., currently, 17 states and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands license Naturopathic Doctors (NDs), and the vast majority of states have regulations in place for Acupuncturists and Dieticians.  

Whether you are seeking lifestyle counsel, homeopathy, dietary advice, acupuncture, or another service, it is advisable to select licensed providers to help you accomplish your healthy lifestyle goals.  If you hope to garner more than healthy living tips, although unlicensed providers may be appealing (and sometimes more affordable), it’s worth investing a little time into credential checking to ensure the best results.   

Childhood obesity is nearly 20% among all children, and it's reached 44% among children living below the poverty line, advancing the national attention on this health epidemic.   Nutrition debates are heating up around the nation as some school administrations try to take hold of the gap between knowledge and action by regulating packed lunches and snacks.  Bans on soft drinks, limits on sweet snacks, and other regulations are popping up in places like Arizona, Alabama,  New York, and Chicago, but some people claim such a regulated approach to healthy living tips the scale too far against parental choice.

Yet others see it as surprising that this is the first time the U.S. is raising standards in cafeteria food, since more than 30 million kids eat those prepared meals every day.  The programs, designed to be socially responsible investments in health promotion, are gathering wide attention.  Supporters and resisters typically agree that the increase of obesity among children requires rethinking some basic assumptions about nutrition. 

The adage we are what we eat, though simple, may prompt plenty of conscious consumers toward more mindful eating habits in response to the growing awareness of childhood obesity.  Integrative Medicine use is also quickly growing for children as parents look for alternatives to growing health concerns among younger populations.  In addition to childhood obesity rates, childhood pharmaceutical use for conditions like anxiety, depression, and other conditions is also on the rise, and these in part can be influenced by diet as well as other factors.  Many holistic alternative medicine practitioners recognize the deep need to move toward healthy and organic living to respond to these health concerns with more natural, preventive approaches.  

Similarly, employers may seek more integrative medicine based options by investing in programs that make integrative alternative medicine providers available to employees.  Moving beyond packaged wellness programs and into health plans that make credentialed integrative medicine providers available, like the options available with CAM PPO of America, Inc., can improve nutrition and general wellness, and help families make lasting healthy lifestyle changes. 

With preventable and chronic diseases among the leading, ever-increasing health care expenses, it’s no surprise that billions of dollars in the U.S. are spent annually treating conditions related to obesity, tobacco use, and diabetes, which can be treated or avoided with preventive approaches.  In fact, some studies estimate that more than 85% of health care claims costs are related to individual lifestyle. While those are daunting numbers, the exciting aspect of these costs should be recognized, too: that improved preventive services can effectively help people reach their goals for healthy and organic living. 

Preventive care includes promoting a healthy diet, activity level, and lifestyle choices (including interventions for risky behaviors, like smoking).  To be effective, proactive approaches to health must go beyond trendy, generic programs that do little more than offer healthy living tips.  Instead, research suggests that appropriate interventions can help reverse some health damage and drastically reduce risks for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.   Integrative and alternative medicine, often termed CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine),  excels in effective treatment options to manage and prevent chronic disease.  

While medical nutrition therapy has obvious benefits for conditions related to obesity, cardiovascular, and diabetes, other CAM services are equally invaluable in prevention and disease management.  Chronic pain alone is estimated to cost employers more than $60 billion annually.  Therapeutic massage, acupuncture, and other CAM interventions have exciting results for effective chronic pain management, including reduced reliance on pain medication.  For instance, patients using acupuncture to treat chronic pain associated with headaches report making 25% fewer physician visits, using 15% fewer sick days, and using 15% less medication.  Acupuncture patients seeking relief from back pain found long term pain relief, a faster return to work from sick leave, and a 28% reduction in pain medication usage.  

Overall, CAM therapies are less invasive and based in healing modalities that are often appealing to LOHAS and other conscious consumers.  Supporting access to holistic alternative medicine practitioners can be an important, socially responsible investment in employee health, and CAM PPO of America, Inc. offers a national credentialed network with an exclusive focus on integrative medicine.

For companies seeking green business solutions, investing in health care that connects the dots between personal and environmental health embodies ecofriendly consciousness.  To overlook one of the major investments companies make in employees by relying on "default" health care options, a major opportunity to promote healthy living is missed. Like processed foods, health care options are usually pre-packaged and offered "as-is" with conventional medicine industries taking the lead in credentialing and other mainstream practices.
     

     Credentialing is an administrative process that involves reviewing qualifications, training, and practice requirements, with the significant goals of promoting patient safety and establishing consistent standards within a group of providers.  In conventional medicine, the complexity of the credentialing practice is generally offset by the consistent scope of practice and licensure standards in the dominant health care system. Credentialing relies on those industry practice standards to ensure that users of a specific network are seeking care from appropriately qualified providers.    

To some, credentialing in the CAM sector may seem cumbersome or unrealistic, since many CAM providers maintain medical practices outside of standard medical institutions.  CAM PPO of America, Inc., however, offers a unique solution with a proprietary credentialing process that exclusively focuses on integrative and alternative medicine.  Because state licensure varies so widely for CAM fields, the process sets CAM PPO apart from simple lists and online groups that may use the right catch phrases but lack medical expertise and qualifications. 

     Seeking a CAM provider can be confusing for conscious consumers, and few patients may have the time or resources to investigate practitioner qualifications and backgrounds.  Yet, it's an essential ingredient to seeking appropriate care interventions.  CAM PPO credentialing impacts the caliber of every network practitioner, and communicates our commitment to quality to members, prospective providers, and employers.  Integrative alternative medicine providers often offer comprehensive approaches that encourage healthy lifestyle management and naturally based therapies.

     Few would argue with the claim that choosing healthy and organic living is an important step toward empowered personal health that promotes an ecofriendly awareness.  Similarly, for companies seeking a socially responsible investment in health, choosing a credentialed network of integrative medicine providers offers an effective option for improving employee health. 

 

Since the recent passing of the Affordable Care Act, many patients, providers, and health care organizations are wondering what will change as a result.  In particular, the Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) community may look with hope, concern, or mindful optimism at several sections of the bill.  

 

 

 The utilization of CAM services has grown substantially since the 1980’s in conjunction with the ecofriendly movement toward exploring natural health options.  So it’s no surprise that the new bill makes some notable attempts at the inclusion of holistic alternative medicine, though few without careful caveats. 

  

Attention to CAM can be found throughout the bill, most notably in the inclusive language that identifies licensed CAM providers within several specific sections of legislation.  Arguably the most significant among these is Sec. 2706, which establishes a non-discrimination provision to include licensed health care providers acting within their scope of practice in group health plans.  Though reimbursement limits and exclusions may apply, this legislation establishes a starting point that at least in theory attempts to increase access to CAM services and level the playing field for CAM and conventional providers.  

Additional sections also reference CAM, such as Sec. 3502, which describes community based  interdisciplinary professional teams delivering patient-centered medicine that "may" include doctors of chiropractic and other licensed CAM providers.  Other Sections that address integrative medicine include Sec. 4206, which discusses individual wellness program pilots that will focus on helping participants establish healthy lifestyles through preventive medicine; and Sec. 5101, which establishes a National Healthcare Workforce Commission that may include CAM providers to help analyze information and make policy recommendations; and a few others that reference integrative medicine explicitly.

 

Since state scopes among CAM providers vary widely, the expertise of the credentialed network of CAM providers offered through CAM PPO of America, Inc. remains a socially responsible investment for employers seeking to invest in employee health and preventive medicine rather than relying on "add on" approaches to integrative medicine benefit planning.   

 

 
We all know what healthy living tips we’re supposed to follow: they involve vegetables, whole foods, moderate activity, and giving up those things we know we ought, like tobacco and processed foods.  Yet in the U.S., billions of dollars are spent annually to treat preventable illness, like those associated with obesity and illnesses resulting from tobacco use (www.preventdisease.com/worksite_wellness/health_stats.shtml).   

 

Maybe it’s a head scratcher why folks in such a wealthy nation as the U.S. have such a tough time doing the right thing for themselves.  On the other hand, when you look at the trends in conventional medicine, the top pharmaceutical products used are not so surprising.  The chart topping prescription drug sales for 2009 included a domination of drugs to treat cholesterol, depression and anxiety, pain, and diabetes.  One study even notes that more than 80% of health care claims costs are due to an individual’s lifestyle.

 

So the behaviors that makes us sick, and maybe even make us feel pretty horrible about ourselves and the world are medicated rather than resolved.  The good news: Current research suggests that it may never be too late to try to reverse existing damage with appropriate healthy living interventions.

  

Lifestyle changes can be challenging to address, but complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers excel in providing the time and attention needed to examine appropriate lifestyle interventions and make crucial recommendations.  CAM, sometimes called integrative medicine or holistic medicine, encompasses whole health care, and providers may promote healthy choices around diet, stress management, and a variety of concerns facing conscientious consumers of health care.  CAM practitioners may play an important role in helping patients close the gap between information and action.  

  Learn more from CAM PPO of America, Inc. at www.camppoamerica.com.