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Alternative medicine gains
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September 17, 1997: 1:24 p.m. ET
A growing number of insurers add coverage of once-spurned treatments
From Correspondent Charles Molineaux
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Alternative medicine is becoming more of an option for many patients as more insurance companies are now paying for those treatments.
Veteran Chiropractor Robert Frank says the world is suddenly a friendlier place for his profession.
"It's getting better. More of the insurance companies are realizing the benefits of chiropractic," said Frank.
Alternative medical treatments like chiropractic, homeopathy, and acupuncture are shedding some of their flaky image and finding new acceptance among insurance providers.
Today 25 insurance companies and HMOs offer some kind of alternative medicine coverage, according to consultants Coopers & Lybrand. That is up from just four in 1994. Most let patients choose from networks of approved alternative providers without a primary care physician's referral.
In July, HMO Oxford Health Plans joined with the National Institutes of Health and Harvard Medical School for a study of alternative treatments.
Aetna is also joining the growing list, providing discounts for acupuncture, chiropractic, nutrition counseling and massage.
"There are some unquestionable areas where it has been studied and shown to have benefit in very particular areas, for example chiropractic care," said Dr. Richard Bernstein, senior medical director with Aetna U.S. Healthcare.
Insurers say they still want to make it clear that alternative approaches are to be used along with, not instead of, conventional medical treatments.
"They will never come out and say this is in lieu of care. But we see a lot of employees who will say it is in lieu of and will go that route. It means again lower cost to the carrier and the HMO that's providing the benefits," said Barry Barnett, a health-care consultant with Coopers & Lybrand.
Aetna says it will keep a close eye on the results of its pilot plan. Health-care analysts say more coverage is likely, because consumers continue to demand it.
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