Legislature(2011 - 2012)
03/09/2011 03:46 PM House L&C
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB155 | |
| HB122 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HB 122-NATUROPATHS
4:31:35 PM
CHAIR OLSON announced that the final order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 122, "An Act relating to naturopaths and to the
practice of naturopathy; establishing an Alaska Naturopathic
Medical Board; authorizing medical assistance program coverage
of naturopathic services; amending the definition of 'practice
of medicine'; and providing for an effective date."
4:31:48 PM
SANDY WILLIAMS stated she has been seeing a local naturopath
(ND) for about 10 years. She said she generally spends an hour
with the ND at each appointment and obtains knowledge to help
improve her health. She offered her belief that her ND is
interested in her well being. She would like to learn more
about preventative care and believes her ND provides her with
guidance that has helped her achieve lifestyle changes. She
concluded by saying she believes she deserves an opportunity to
choose an ND as her health care provider and spoke in support of
HB 122.
4:33:14 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked whether she thought her choices in
selecting an ND were constrained.
MS. WILLIAMS related she is a senior citizen and currently is
not taking any prescribed medication. She related her
experience with doctors has been that appointments are shorter
and the opportunity to speak is limited to one or two things.
She thought the first response for treatment is to take a pill,
and medical doctors tend not to work on prevention or cause of
the ailment.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked how passage of this HB 122,
establishing a ND's board would affect her life.
MS. WILLIAMS answered that she was unsure, but she thinks it
would expand her ND's ability to provide additional care. In
response to Representative Saddler, she stated her ND is Dr.
Emily Kane.
4:34:46 PM
DAVID OTTESEN stated that for the past 25 years, the NDs have
been the primary health care providers for his family. The NDs
have treated his family for a variety of minor health problems,
including ear, sinus, and urinary tract infection. He has
worked with a number of NDs and finds them to be competent and
professional. "I think this legislation really should be
completely non-controversial since every other state on the West
Coast does have a Naturopathic Board," he said. He stated he
was aware some members of the medical community have expressed
concerned that NDs might practice outside the scope of their
competence, but he is unaware of any evidence to suggest this
has happened in any other state, including Alaska.
4:36:48 PM
MR. OTTESEN related a scenario which highlighted his experience.
He stated that about five years ago he came back from Africa
with an illness he initially thought was traveler's diarrhea,
which he initially contracted during the trip. After four or
five days he continued to experience fever and chills and was
getting worse. His ND, Emily Kane, realized he might have
something more serious. She went to his home and performed a
blood test for malaria during a lunch hour. His test came back
positive the next day. He went to Bartlett Memorial Hospital
and was transported via Medivac to Seattle since he had
concocted cerebral malaria, which is often fatal. He attributed
his treatment to Dr. Kane's care. He related his experience
points out the personalized care NDs provide. He reiterated she
came to his house on her lunch hour to perform a blood test. He
commented this is not the first house call he has received from
an ND. Secondly, his experience provides an example of a ND
making a good decision and referring a patient to appropriate
care. She referred him to the hospital and did not attempt to
treat his condition with any herbal remedy. She told him he
needed to go to Bartlett Memorial Hospital and get treatment.
It turns out the hospital did not have enough experience to
treat his illness either so he was transferred to the University
of Washington and treated by a specialist in tropical diseases.
Primary care providers also work in that manner since not each
provider has expertise in all areas of medicine. NDs work in
the same way, are aware of their limitations, and refer patients
when they are beyond their area of expertise.
MR. OTTESEN pointed out that the U.S. including Alaska has a
shortage of primary care providers. NDs help individuals take
responsibility for their own illnesses, and work in partnership
with their clients to help them take steps for wellness. He
offered his belief that people eating better, exercising, and
taking steps for wellness is precisely the key to get a handle
on medical costs. He stressed that ND's excel at wellness. He
urged support for HB 122.
4:41:12 PM
JANE MADISON offered her belief that Alaskans deserve access to
balanced approach of traditional medicine and ND treatment. She
expressed gratitude for the services the medical community
provides. Many medical conditions can be prevented or treated
with diet, supplements, and hormones which represents a small
part of the services an ND provides that traditional medical
doctors do not have time for, she said. The NDs' hands are tied
since they do not have a state board. While NDs have
authorization to write prescriptions in other states, they are
not authorized to write prescriptions in Alaska. She stated
that HB 122 will solve many problems. She related that six
years ago she began to have serious thyroid issues and
complications. Representatives Olson and Chenault observed her
downward spiral including huge weight gain. She said within one
month the condition was cured with a natural thyroid medication
that was not available through a traditional MD. Under the
present regulations she must see the ND, followed by a visit to
advanced nurse practitioner or MD who can write her
prescription.
MS. MADISON stressed that this bill could help others, such as
those who suffer from the side effects of chemotherapy since
ND's can help lessen the side effects significantly,
particularly with prescriptions. She surmised that some people
in Alaska are passing themselves off as NDs and sell products
for profit. A board could help stop this and raise the
standards. Her local hospital cannot hire MDs unless they are
state certified. Therefore, her hospital cannot hire NDs. This
bill would allow her hospital to hire both the MD and the ND,
which would provide balanced care. She pointed out that the
Mayo Clinic offers both NDs and physicians. This bill could
help the state since it is self insured. She related a
patient's history and her belief that NDs could have provided
less costly care for the patient. She named a number of
ailments that could be helped by NDs, including treating thyroid
disorders or adrenal gland disorders. These health problems can
be treated by either an MD or an ND, she said.
4:46:39 PM
WAYNE ALDERHOLT spoke in support of HB 122. He stated he is a
36-year Alaskan resident with about 18 years of experience as a
consumer/patient of naturopathic medicine. Traditional
allopathic medicine and naturopathic medicine each has a role in
Alaska and both are necessary for the health care system. He
related that NDs excel in prevention and management of chronic
conditions. Traditional medicinal doctors excel in emergent
conditions requiring aggressive intervention and damage control.
An unintentional but critical omission in the 1986 enabling
legislation for NDs left the profession without a governing
structure. This bill would provide an independent board to
oversee NDs. Prescription ability should be allowed and managed
by the respective boards. With respect to malpractice, once
both boards are established it would be up to those bodies to
create clear standards and enforce them. He served on his local
hospital board and he learned two things. First, the majority
of malpractice is generated by a few practitioners. Most
malpractice incidents are preventable. The medical community
can police themselves. He related that he previously submitted
written testimony. He referred to a flyer he picked up at a
conference. He read, "Members of both professional bodies meet
to share experiences, ideas, and skills on specific areas of
health care for the betterment of the participants and their
patients." He shared that the national conference had seven MDs
and four NDs who presented. He described his own diagnosis and
ND treatment, noting he had to travel out of state and selected
Arizona for treatment. He said the clinic he attended provided
cutting edge treatment.
4:51:20 PM
MARY ANN FOLAND, Physician, Immediate Past President, Alaska
Academy of Family Physicians; President-Elect, Alaska State
Medical Association, stated she was a family practice physician
for over 34 years in Anchorage. She related that she has been
in contact with other groups including the Physician's Assistant
Association, the American Osteopathic Association, and the State
Medical Board. All of the groups she has contacted think this
bill is a bad idea. The goal of NDs is to expand their practice
to be the same as primary care physicians. She expressed
concern about this, not the least of which is the cost of a new
regulatory board. Using doctor in the title or physician
creates confusion and is misleading. She referred to a recent
study that showed 90 percent of the people surveyed think only
licensed medical doctors should use the term physician. She
highlighted the difference in training, experience, and
continuing education. She offered her belief that NDs do not
have the breadth or depth in education provided in traditional
medical school. The NDs are not required to have graduate
residency that is essential for patient safety. The most
dangerous thing she says she does every day is to pull out the
pad from her pocket to write a prescription. Even if NDs do not
have the ability to write prescriptions for controlled
substances, she thought many drug interactions and
contraindications and dangers in prescribing. She said, "There
are no safe, simple drugs. I ask you to please to not simplify
this or consider it just a matter of competition." She did not
think there were enough naturopaths in the state to really be
competition for physicians in Alaska. She cautioned members
that this is about safety. This bill is a "wants" list and not
a "needs" list. She did not think the NDs practice should be
expanded.
4:54:20 PM
DR. FOLAND characterized the public's trust of physicians as a
sacred trust. She reiterated that the groups she previously
mentioned think this is a bad idea. She read, "A physician is a
person who has successfully completed the prescribed course of
studies in medicine, in a medical school officially recognized
by the country in which it is located and who has acquired the
requisite qualifications for licensing in the practice of
medicine." She then read the definition for naturopathy, "A
system of treating diseases largely employing natural agencies
such as air, sunshine, etc. and rejecting the use of drugs and
medication." She concluded that this is about training,
experience, and stated mission. She urged members to please
vote no on HB 122.
[HB 122 was held over.]
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