Will the Health Reform Bill Reform the Health of the Nation?

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Now that the ink is dry on the healthcare-reform bill, the pundits are scrutinizing the language. I’ve read bits and pieces of the document, but I may be on Medicare by the time I get through it all.

From what I’ve gleaned thus far, while there a number of outstanding issues such as cost, implementation and whether the bill is even constitutional, one provision of the Act, Title Four, is a plus. It could move the country toward disease prevention rather than disease retention, i.e. illness maintenance. It could also improve access to alternative practitioners.

“Many of the components of a healthy lifestyle – eating well, exercise and proper nutrition (including supplementation) – are reflected in the provisions,” said Mike Green vice president for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a dietary-supplement trade association to Pamela Bond from Natural Foods Merchandiser.

In the same article, Michael McGuffin, president of the trade group American Herbal Products Association, Industry officials said that sections of the bill discuss the role of naturopaths, acupuncturists and chiropractors as recognized healthcare providers.

Will the health care bill pay for supplements?

It is not clear whether the bill will include reimbursement of expenses for alternative-care practitioners or dietary supplements. Though the concept may be reaching the right audience, earlier this month, a Dietary Supplement Caucus on Capitol Hill addressed the importance of treating the whole person with a broad array of options including supplements.

According to a press release by CRN, at the caucus, Mark Hyman, M.D., medical director of The UltraWellness Center said, “The irony is that the current healthcare system will pay for expensive medical treatments, but it won’t pay for dietary supplements to keep our bodies healthy. As a nation, we are overfed but undernourished. Dietary supplements play an important role in functional and preventive medicine.”

Hyman uses an integrative approach to wellness for his patients. At the caucus, he discussed how he works with patients through proper diet, exercise, dietary supplements and use of prescription medications, when necessary. “By reducing the burden of illness in patients, we can increase their return on investment and quality of life,” Hyman said.

If you want a copy of the Healthcare Bill to read, use as a doorstop or wallpaper your bathroom, you can download the bill here.

Read more on how the bill could open up access to alternative care here.

Read more on how the bill could be a boon to the supplements industry here.

Kimberly Stewart can be reached at eatingbetweenthelines@gmail.com

Read Kimberly Stewart's next blog, Pledge Shakes Salt from Packaged and Restaurant Foods, here, and the rest of her blogs here.

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