-

Forum 2

Theresa Mhanna

H.R. 3590, Title V, section 5101 and section 2706  and how it affects Acupuncturist

The part of Affordable Care Act that I would like to discuss in the essay is H.R. 3590,  Title 5 section 5101 and section 2706. (PPACA, 2010).  In doing so, I will explain what it is and give compare and contrast the benefits to the public and complementary and alternative medicines health care providers.

Section 5101 is about forming a 15-member National Health Care Commission to Improve communication and address complex issues facing today's government (federal and state) concerning today's ever-changing health care system. (AUCD, 2010).  Its goal is to improve quality of care to the citizens of United States at a reasonable cost. Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General, will appoint 15 advisors to assist him in the direction of health care. These advisors will set the tone of how Acupuncturists qualifications, education, and the role played in health care will evolve. As an example, the advisors could decide to keep acupuncture as a weekend course for Doctors and Physical Therapists. Or it could recognize the NCCAOM as an accrediting committee for Acupuncturist. These two choices would be the difference in the quality of care and outcome for the public. There are many other possible outcomes if Acupuncturists don't become a stabilized force.   

Comptroller General of the United States is Gene Dodaro.  He has been around for about 40 years. Dodaro has worked in management reform initiatives which include several Acts. He has been successful, but the financial division has been his specialty for many years. He is known for economic reform in many areas. As Comptroller General he “helps in the development and issuance of hundreds of reports and testimonies to many committees and individual members of Congress.” (U.S. GAO, from the Comptroller General” GAO U.S. Government Accountability Office, Oct 13, 2017.)”. This means that he is a very busy man.  So, whoever presents to him the most impressive resume’ will be the ones appointed to the National Health Care Commission. Who will he pick? More than likely a Doctor. Why because the doctor speaks Biomedicine and there is very little correlation between Western Medicine and Eastern Medicine that has been researched and documented in America. This means that Acupuncturist will not be likely to be one of the 15 advisors to be part of the committee.

 At this point in the development of Acupuncture in America, there isn’t as much money as we would like to have to present the research to show Congress that we should be considered for Primary Care Provider.

Section 2706 is about non- discrimination against health care providers (PPACA, 2010, pg 236)  What does this mean? Insurance companies can’t say one profession gets paid more than another. It means that one profession isn’t more important than another. It opens the door for alternative therapies to the consumer. It gives the consumer choice in types of practitioners. Section 2706 does not guarantee individual Acupuncturist the security of being part of a networking system if they do not want us. The consumer will benefit because they will have access to alternative healthcare professions and a lesser cost to them because insurances will be helping with the cost. This section also has given Acupuncturist Federal Recognition as an accreditable form of health care. It supports the alternative therapy professions by providing a more extensive base of people who will see us, but Acupuncturist will be burdened with the paperwork and hoops to jump through. (IHPC, n.d.).  The bill is vague, Acupuncturists are not unified and lack education with biomedicine that our voice is not strong enough to be recognized as primary care providers even though we refer out.

In time I hope that this bill will give Acupuncturist the opportunity to prove that Alternative Therapies will lower cost of treating health issues.

Resources

AUCD, May 28, 2010,  Title V of the patient protection and affordable care act, Retrieved from https://www.aucd.org/docs/policy/health_care/Section%20by%20Section%20Summary%20of%20Health%20Care%20Workforce.pdf

Bellamy, J, Cam practitioners as primary care providers under the Affordable Care Act: Part 1, Science-Based Medicine, Exploring issues & controversies in science and medicine, Retrieved from sciencebasedmedicine.org/cam-practitioners-as-pcps-under-the-aca-part-1

IHPC, (n.d.), FAQs Frequently Asked Questions about Section 2706, Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium, Retrieved from http://www.ihpc.org/wp-content/uploads/section-2706-faq.pdf,

PPACA, Compilation of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, As Amended Through November 1, 2010, 111th CONGRESS 2d Session, Retrieved from https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CPRT-111HPRT61643/pdf/CPRT-111HPRT61643.pdf, (pg 236, 519)

U.S. GAO, (n.d.), From the Comptroller General, Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, GAO U.S. Government Accountability Office, Retrieved from gao.gov/cghome/index.html


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
FORUM 3 Theresa Mhanna What is my role in primary care in my state? The State of Ohio in” Chapter 4762: Acupuncturist and Oriental Medicine Practitioners” Ohio Revised Code 4762.10 “Supervisory Period; treatment instructions for Herbal Therapy” states that “a Physician or a Chiropractor will supervise for one year from the initial date of certification a Practitioner of Oriental Medicine or Acupuncturist. During this time the Practitioner of Oriental Medicine or Acupuncturist will only treat patients if there is a prescription or referral from a Chiropractor or Physician. In section (c)(1) there is to be a signed form by the patient confirming the patient has had a diagnostic examination in the past six months by a physician or chiropractor acting within their scope of practice of the condition being treated . Section (c) (2) states that if there is not this signed form that the Acupuncturist or Practitioner of Oriental Medicine will provide to the patient a writt
Read more

Herb School

-
My adventures to learning Chinese Herbs I have been now studying Chinese herbs for 1 1/2 yrs. I have 6 months before I finish and then I sit for the national boards to get a certificate to show I am competent in herbal therapy. We ( the whole class) started learning properties of single herbs used in the main stream of Chinese herbology for the 1st years. Now we are in our 2nd yr. and finishing up the big Formulas study book this up coming weekend. We have done testing every month for the past 1 1/2 yrs. This has been intense. This upcoming test will be on phlegm and damp in general. I have a Thesis due around May and it has to be 10 pgs. Double spaced. I picked the topic Colitis/Crohn's.  I see a lot people with gut issues in my clinic. This topic will be useful for me in helping my patients.
Read more