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
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