[The Essential Garden] [Marketplace] [Table of Contents] [Prev ] [Prev ] [About WBJ] January / February *Current Issue* Feature Article Natural Medicine Updates An observer of the health care system today notices profound changes taking place,from the use of traditional herbs to treat cancer effectively (such as Essiac/Floressence/Native Essence) to incorporating recent scientific findings (intravenous or oral chelation therapy) as effective and economical natural alternatives to conventional medical treatments for removing plaque from arteries. Bastyr University, the only accredited educational institution in the world that offers degree and certificate programs in both eastern and western natural medicine, including naturopathy, nutrition, acupuncture and Oriental medicine, homeopathy, midwifery and Chinese herbal medicine, in 1994 received a NIH grant to establish a center for alternative medicine research in HIV/AIDS. The University is now developing a model for medical education which integrates the study and practice of therapeutic nutrition with health promotion, disease prevention and treatment of chronic and acute illness. Bastyr has established an endowed chair to incorporate this model into the University's medical programs in honor of Dr. Jeffrey Bland, founder of HealthComm International, Inc., for his work in therapeutic nutrition and nutrition research. Alan Gaby, M.D., has been appointed as the first Dr. Jeffrey Bland Endowed Professor of Therapeutic Nutrition. Gaby is from Baltimore, Maryland, where he is a family practitioner specializing in nutrition and natural medicine. He is a pioneer in the field of nutritional medicine, and has authored several books on the subject, including Nutritional Therapy in the Medical Practice, Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis, Nutritional Therapy as an Alternative to Drugs and Surgery, and Natural Hormone Therapy. Gaby's national lecture credits include a recent presentation on the pharmacologic uses of nutrients in cardiology at the American Heart Association's first conference on Alternative and Complementary Medicine. He currently serves as president of the American Holistic Medical Association. (Bastyr: 144 NE 54th St., Seattle, WA 98105-3752, 206-523-9585.) DR JONATHAN WRIGHT AND FDA Almost four years ago, in May, 1992, agents of the FDA and Sherriff's agents from King County in Washington state, raided the office of Jonathan Wright, M.D., a specialist in nutritional medicine. The raid was characterized by the media as ``gestapo-style.'' Sherriff's agents along with FDA agents, broke through the locked doors of Wright's clinic early in the morning before office hours, and with guns drawn and pointed at staff members yelled ``freeze.'' Wright earlier had a lawsuit pending against FDA actions in confiscating his uncontaminated batch of L-tryptophan. This lawsuit and Wright's international reputation in treating disease with nutritional means, supplements and specialized vitamins, led observers to comment that the FDA's actions seemed retaliatory; not only that, it substantiated evidence that FDA bureaucrats continued to be extremely biased against alternatives to orthodox medicine. King County Sherriff's spokespersons later admitted that FDA agents pressed the office into overreaction in the raid at Wright's Clinic. FDA regional officials, and Commissioner David Kessler publicly accussed Wright of drug-smuggling and, on national television news asserted that the raid uncovered illegal products and medical techniques that would result in charges against Wright. According to an FDA memo made public as part of a civil suit Wright filed in 1992, local FDA agents were coached to tell the press that Wright was ``smuggling foreign drugs into the country, the clinic was manufacturing medicines using improper procedures and trying to defraud the government.'' Now, after hundreds of thousands of dollars and untold hours spent in defense of Wright, the Justice Department decided no charges will be filed against Wright. According to a front-page article in the Seattle Times (9/23/95) Wright's advisers did not know yet ``whether the doctor plans to sue the FDA again for damages, but hoped he would not. `He is an honorable, ethical person, and he suffered unnecessarily for four years,' said Jonathan Emord, an attorney for Wright in Washington, D.C. `This hopefully ends the persecution of Dr. Wright. Now I think he is just going to do what he does best, which is continue on with his practice.' '' Regarding the actions against Wright of the current administrators and officers of the FDA, and therefore our current government, one is reminded of Thomas Jefferson's words in the Declaration of Independence: ``He [King George/the government of England] has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.'' When will the government reflect values of kindness, wisdom and restraint? When its people do? If not now, when? INSURANCE COVERAGE Patricia van der Meer's conventional insurance does not cover the alternative treatments she feels helped her regain her health: nutritional therapy, massage, and herbal medicine; because health insurance rarely covers so-called alternative treatments, most people pay for these treatments out of pocket, which is testimony to their desirability and efficiency. This scenario is starting to change. Insurers are beginning to cover certain alternatives. Mutual of Omaha is only one of 15 companies now offering insurance for Dr. Dean Ornish's diet, meditation, and yoga program that helps reverse heart disease. Alternative Health Insurance Services of Thousand Oaks, California covers both allopathic and complementary/alternative treatments, such as acupuncture, Ayurveda, biofeedback, bodywork and massage therapy, maternity/midwifery, chelation therapy, chiropractic, oriental medicine, homeopathy and more. Patients may choose any provider, M.D. or N.D., or D.O. or D.C. The company was started in 1985 by Sherry and Steven Gorman, who were from the natural foods industry. Subscribers must meet a deductible of up to $1000, and the plan pays 80% of the first $5,000 eligible medical expenses in a year, then 100 percent thereafter, with a $2 million maximum. The plan includes prescription drug cards, with a $5 copayment, as well as ``named partner'' coverage for homosexual or non-married couples and their families. Another plan is offered by American Western Life Insurance Co. in Foster City California: Prevention Plus. It covers a full range of alternative therapies. Enrollees use a naturopath as their primary care physician, or the gatekeeper who refers to other alternative practitioners. There is a $5 copayment for prescriptions, including herbal medicines. The company also has a 24-hour 800 Wellness Line staffed by naturopathic physicians, saving on doctor visits where possible. Leland Wolf, AWL president notes that it is a health, not a medical insurance plan. The emphasis is on covering people who are actively interested in staying healthy, rather than paying doctors for treating patients who are sick. The plan is available to residents of Colorado, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. (American Western Life: 1-800-925-5323; Alternative Health Insurance Services: 1-800-966-8467.) The following piece is from Dr. Robert Atkins' Health Revelations, V. III, No. 10, October 1995 (address at end of article). The Bill mentioned here grew out of the grassroots movement to insure medical freedom of choice in the United States; this movement was catalyzed by many restrictive government agent actions against Dr. Wright (supra) and other pioneers in the field of natural health care. DON'T LET THE FEDS DECIDE WHICH DOCTORS YOU CAN SEE Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. --Thomas Jefferson The most signifigant health-care legislation of our generation needs your support to become law. The Access to Medical Treatment Act (AMTA) has been introduced into the House (HR 2019) and Senate (S 1035) and has begun its journey through the legislative labyrinth. When hearings are held this fall, the bills will need your support. AMTA would allow people to receive any kind of medical care they want from any legally authorized health practitioner provided two requirements are met: * The treatment could cause no harm more serious than that routinely experienced with conventional medical care for the same condition. * The patient would be fully informed about the treatment and its possible side effects. The principles embodied in this legislation are exactly what I've been working toward all my life. If you believe in the alternative medical mission, I implore you to get behind the bill actively. Every legislator in Washington must know there are millions of voters who feel passionately about this issue. They must be made to feel obligated to support it. Thinking through the issues Here are a few ideas to get you started when you call or write your representatives: * Have you benefitted from unconventional therapies? If so, briefly describe how. * The government shouldn't meddle as you work with practitioners to find the best approach to your health. * This is a question of political and economic democracy. It's a freedom-of-choice issue that gives people access to the full range of therapies. It also increases competition for services, thus keeping costs down. * Alternative therapies often save consumers a great deal of money. Chelation, for instance, is significantly cheaper (not to mention less risky) than bypass surgery. Why should people be denied access to cost-effective alternatives? * The Food and Drug Administration's approval process is not designed to handle natural treatments. The time and expense (12 years, $300 million) it takes to get a drug approved, and the agency's disregard for anything that can't be tested conventionally, effectively precludes any chance for natural therapies to be sanctioned. Natural substances also can't be patented, which means companies can't recoup research and development costs, as can the pharmaceutical giants. * Threatening to ban alternative approaches will just drive practitioners to other countries, limiting treatment access to those who can travel abroad. Isn't it better to encourage the development of these therapies in our own country? What you can do to help When you know exactly what you want to say, call the congressperson from your district, and ask to speak to the legislative assistant handling this bill. The switchboard: 202-225-3121. Letters should be addressed to: the Hon. (fill in name), House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. The Senate's ZIP code is 20510. In your letter, state immediately your purpose. Mention the legislation by name and bill number and include key information about the need for the law. Limit your letter to one page and one issue. Include the ``self-interest angle''--why the legislator should support the bill. Are you in his or her district? Did you vote for him or her? The more personal your letter, the better. It took Sen. Tom Harkin 10 years to get the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act passed. It took three years of bulldog tenacity from Sen. Orrin Hatch and the overwhelming grassroots support from people like you to pass the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. Make sure your voice is heard, and don't stop talking until the other side cries uncle. Read the Bill for yourself You can request a copy of the bill from the HR Documents Room by calling 202- 225-3456, or, it's available on the Internet. Direct your WWW browser to: http://rs1.loc.gov/home/thomas.html. For more info on the bill and its sponsors, contact the American Preventive Medical Association (APMA) at 800-230-2762. ________________________________________ Health Revelations:105 W. Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, 410-223-2619. Published monthly for $80 per year by Agora, Inc. Robert C. Atkins, M.D., editor. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [The Essential Garden] [Marketplace] [Table of Contents] [Prev ] [Prev ] [About WBJ] Tell us what you think Copyright (C) 1995 by Well Being Journal and The Essential Garden. All rights reserved.