CAM Insurance Coverage Is Up, But It Is Still Considered Sorely Inadequate by Many
Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Research into the cost effectiveness of complementary therapies is crucial to improving coverage, experts say
Facing double-digit healthcare-cost increases and pressure from employees, a growing number of businesses and government health plans have added complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies to their covered options in recent years, banking on the notion that investing in low-tech therapies, such as acupuncture, now may save money on drugs and surgery down the line. In addition, more states are mandating coverage of licensed CAM providers, such as naturopathic doctors, and insurance carriers have beefed up their CAM-oriented offerings in hopes of luring customers.
“At this point, virtually all large companies have various forms of CAM therapies that are covered, and virtually all of the major insurance carriers now cover CAM” — at least to some degree, said Kenneth Pelletier, PhD, MD, founder of the Corporate Health Improvement Program (CHIP), a University of Arizona research program that tracks trends in corporate health plans.
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