The Titan
Essay Preview: The Titan
Report this essay
Coverage for CAM is relevant to everyone because I think offering this option will raise premiums and health care costs in general. This is not to pick on CAMs, adding any service for coverage, such as physical therapy or occupational therapy, usually increases members premiums. As such, many health insurers will offer different levels of premiums, with higher premiums covering services like CAMs.
If covering a CAM raises my premiums, I have the right to know the CAM two things: is it safe? is it effective? Safety is of a paramount issue. CAMs major obstacle to being accepted mainstream is lack of scientific testing. This weighs on my mind because safety is not established for many questionable CAMs. For example, colonics has caused outbreaks of severe gastrointestinal infections from the use of non-sterile equipment. (Barrett, 2004) More severe injuries include strokes from chiropractic manipulations of the neck. This usually comes from extreme rotation of the neck causing the vertebral artery to tear. (Barrett, 2003) And the most recent widely-publicized harm are the multiple deaths from Ephedra, leading to its eventual ban by the government. (CNN, 2003) This case is a wake-up call to all those who proclaim CAMs, particularly herbs, are safe because it is “natural”.
The second thing I want to know is the efficacy of the CAM being covered. To raise my premiums for a CAM, whether I personally use it or not, I have a right to know it is helping people. Again, this is where CAMs fail to do testing to show their effectiveness. They are missing a big opportunity for acceptance. One could imagine headlines announcing “Echinacea cures cancer” as the turning point for “alternative” medicine to overcome “traditional” medicine. If these practitioners truly believe in their healing powers, one would hope more efficacy studies will be coming than what little we