Is the Affordable Care Act Good for Integrative Therapies?

The following article was originally posted at www.kimsreallife.com

We are just a couple months away from open enrollment in the so-called "ObamaCare" health plans.  It seems important that we go into this new season of health and wellness care with open eyes and a sense of direction.  In the spirit of sharing the journey, below are a couple of items that have come across my desk in regards to the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Article: ACA Hikes Status of Alternative Medicine, at Least on Paper

Here's an excerpt:

One clause of the health law in particular -- Section 2706 -- is widely discussed in the alternative medicine community because it requires that insurance companies "shall not discriminate" against any health provider with a state-recognized license. That means a licensed chiropractor treating a patient for back pain, for instance, must be reimbursed the same as medical doctors.

I am excited about this because it appears to open up the possibility of integrative therapies to the general population on the same level as what we've come to call standard medical care.  If these clauses hold weight, then we will all have more and better choices as to how we get and stay well in the future.


And here is an opinion piece recently published in the Glenwood Springs Post Independent newspaper.  Author James Kellogg believes the new healthcare laws are unhealthy for America. According to Kellogg,

Obamacare contains close to 20 tax increases, most affecting the middle class. The Treasury’s inspector general called it “the largest set of tax law changes in 20 years.”

So armed with this and other information we've passed along, what are your thoughts on the upcoming changes?   Do you agree with Mr. Kellogg?

Read more about the ACA on the Health Care Reform page.