Alternative Medicine in Free Clinic Settings
The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics estimates that Americans spend $34 billion annually on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) including herbal supplements, chiropractic visits, meditations, acupuncture and other holistic approaches. While most CAM services are not covered by insurance, some speculate that increased utilization of alternative therapies is due to the growing number of uninsured Americans.
It seems natural to me then that free clinics might offer alternative therapies to their uninsured patients; however,I was somewhat shocked to find that very few make these services available. I was even more shocked to find this is especially true for faith-based clinics who typically promote their focus on the mind, body and spirit connection when it comes to wellness and health care.
The Ithaca Free Clinic is one of the only medically integrated free clinics in the US. Here, uninsured patients can receive both conventional medical care offered by physicians and nurse practitioners, and also seek care from holistic professionals so that “patients have access to a healthy variety of choices in the healthcare they receive.” Check it out.
