Obama Government Advocates Alternative Medicine
to the New Health Care System
President Barack Obama expressed his openness to including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the U.S. healthcare system during the April 29 Town Hall meeting in Arnold, Missouri, USA, which marked the 100th day of his administration.
When asked by a licensed acupuncturist on how alternative medicine would fit into his new healthcare system, President Obama said. “We should do what works. I think it is pretty well documented through scientific studies that acupuncture, for example, can be very helpful in relieving certain things like migraines and other ailments—or at least as effective as more intrusive interventions.”
“I think one basic principle that we know is that the more we do on the prevention side, the more we can obtain serious savings down the road,” President Obama added. He remarked that investments on early checkups, immunity measures and proper control would save huge amounts of money in the long-term. President Obama also stressed the importance of changing the current logic of the healthcare system, which focuses only on reducing costs in the near-term.
Commenting on the government’s support to alternative medicine, Michael McGuffin, president of the American Herbal Products Association said, “Reimbursement for healthcare provided by CAM practitioners would not only support the health of the public, it represents a significant opportunity for products used and prescribed by CAM practitioners and a major step forward in the development of an innovative and wellness-based healthcare system.”
Sources:
The White House Washington www.whitehouse.gov
American Herbal Products Association www.ahpa.org |
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