Why are M.D.s (insurance companies) so unwilling to support/pay for alternative therapies for chronic pain?

Question

The public pays huge amounts out of pocket for chiro, massage, acupuncture for chronic muskuloskeletal pain. Physical therapy is just as important as any alternative therapy I've seen, but it and other aspects of the traditional, western medical approach falls short in many areas. What are your thoughts?

Answer 1

First, separate M.D.s from insurance companies. They are not each other's friends or colleagues. M.D.s are supposed to care for the patient's health, while insurance companies provide payments but act in the interest of the company (revenues matter most).

You may feel that M.D.s (the doctors) hesitate to pay for alternative treatments. M.D.s are waiting for good scientific data for these treatments before they prescribe them. Good data comes from independent (not funded by large pharmaceutical/equipment companies) "random controlled trials". Anecdotal data ("I know a guy who...") is just not good science.

Insurance companies are balancing effectiveness of the treatment with the cost. If a treatment is 30% effective but costs $1000 AND is not necessary (life-saving/life-prolonging), then they won't pay for it. If a treatment is 80% effective, costs $100 and is medically necessary, they are more likely to pay for it. There are plenty of other statistical computations they do before they decide to pay. In general, the company is trying to minimize *their* cost (thus maximize their profits).

The good news is that the National Institutes of Health has a relatively new division http://nccam.nih.gov/ that studies alternative treatments. Good science will be applied to old but untested remedies. M.D.s will be able to prescribe these methods, comfortable with the fact that they have good science behind them. Sham treatments will be exposed as useless, and will not harm the patients who use them (by harming them directly or by delaying effective treatment).

Answer 2

I think that some insurance companies are starting to realize that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. *starting* being the operative word, lol. I think many insurance companies see pain relief as optional and not necessary to keep someone alive. Sustaining life and sustaining a quality of life is something insurance companies and healthcare organizations need to seriously think about.

Chronic pain has really been horribly under treated and JAHCO has tried to face this, and pain is now a vital sign that needs to be treated. Unfortunately, many places just don't enforce it well enough. There are some places that have pain free policies, and even wear cute little buttons, but still may not relieve pain adequately. I sincerely hope that this is a trend that will continue to show medical professionals and care centers that pain is subjective and absolutely positively needs to be treated.

Autoimmune diseases run in my family, and chronic pain management is a huge issue with us. We get so tired of healthcare professionals having modern and up to date medical knowledge, yet still have antequated ideas about pain relief. I understand that they do have to weed out people who are drug seeking for recreational useage, but is it really worth keeping someone who most likely is on the edge of their rope, just barely holding on suffering? I absolutely do not think so.

As far as alternative therapies, there are many pain clinics that keep their patients using only those methods and not pain medicine. My mother was sent for biofeedback and aromatherapy treatments, and they were covered by her insurance. We found that a combination of alternative therapies and western medicine was a good fit for her.

In no way am I bashing healthcare professionals, heck, I am one. Policies and attitudes about chronic pain and pain management need to change. That is just the bottom line.

Answer 3

In part I could claim a consperacy theory
I could also refer them to the numbers $$$'s that are saved on the alternatives
but in reality it is because they are trying to take away the possibility of us using anything else.

LOOK into what the World Trade Organization is trying to do with medicine.


Better for us....
Physical therapy has its place but is geared to force rather than relax the muscle into submission.
Pain can be referred from places other than the head. This deals with headaches but the principle works for all kinds of pain.
Muscles get knots called trigger points. These make the muscles tight causing them to press on nerves and other thing.
#1 The first thing is to take a couple swigs of molasses or eat a couple of bananas. They contain magnisium and potassium both of which muscles need.
#2 WATER she should be drinking 1/2 gallon minimum. The head of neurology at UCDavis likens a body running low on water to a car running low on oil (the engine can seize).
Get a good (deep tissue) massage (to loosen the trigger points) on the back, shoulders and neck. Make sure to press up at the base of the skull where it meets the spine.
You rub or lightly scratch everywhere on your head. You will hit spots that are tender these are trigger points. The idea is to rub across them 6-12 times per session up to six times per day until they go away.
For more information on trigger points read The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Davies.
I use a chiropractor and massage therapist as well because of my problems.

Answer 4

though alternative therapies work in many cases, in fact sometimes better than western medicine, the west has not yet accepted these as a 'cure'. many therapies have only anecdotal evidence, and since placebo therapy would work in about 40% of patients anyway, it is difficult to get 'proper scientific' evidence for the cure rates and procedures in alternative therapies.
insurance companies anyway need any excuse not to pay!

Answer 5

It's all about money. Alternative medicine is much cheaper and prevents diseases. If people are healthy, insurance companies would go broke. Doctors would have to take up knitting.

Answer 6

The the AMA is not set up to protect consumers, it is set up to protect the privilege levels of it's members. If you really look into it, you would be amazed at the evil/ predatory policies that they have forced on us. For example, here in California, ONLY a doctor can own a clinic. So you can't go and open a health clinic and hire a doctor, only a doctor can. Evil Evil Profit jackals who don't give a flip about public health.

Answer 7

Maybe because it is not benefiting the insurance companies, nor the pharmacies, nor the medical doctors. Alternative medicine is far cheaper.....

Answer 8

I think they are reluctant to spend money on alternative medicine until it has been proven to be effective.

Answer 9

Because they are not FDA approved.