Profile of a Profession: Naturopathic Practice - Center for the Health ...

considered to be practicing medicine as defined in the jurisdiction’s Medical Practice Act, he or she
could be charged with practicing medicine without a license. Naturopathic physicians sometimes
choose to study and become licensed as acupuncturists in those states where naturopathic physicians
cannot be licensed but acupuncturists can. In doing so, they are able to legally see patients and provide
health care as acupuncturists.
Also included in Table 10 is information about recent legislative activity. Of the 32 states that regulate
neither naturopathic medicine nor naturopathy, legislation was introduced in at least 9 of them during
the 1999–2000 or 2000–2001 legislative sessions. All of these bills, most of which would have licensed
naturopathic physicians, died.
Governmental reimbursement of naturopathic medicine
Cooper et al. reported in 1998 that neither Medicare nor Medicaid provided reimbursement for serv-
ices rendered by naturopathic physicians. To our knowledge, Medicare maintains this policy, however,
Medicaid will cover acupuncture and naturopathic medical services if the practitioner is licensed by the
state where the service is provided and the service is considered a medical necessity (Health Care
Finance Administration, 2000).
Private sector reimbursement of naturopathic medicine
One form of private sector recognition of a profession is through insurance coverage or third party
reimbursement. The majority of complementary and alternative medical (CAM) treatments are not
reimbursed by insurance companies, although several health plans and Health Maintenance
Organizations (HMOs) have begun to expand coverage.
Profile of a Profession: Naturopathic Practice
Since 1996, based on companies’ own business decisions and marketing strategies, a number of
managed care organizations have begun to offer some type of coverage of complementary and
alternative medical care as options. For example, Oxford Health Plans and Prudential Healthcare Plans
in New Jersey are two managed care companies to offer reimbursement for naturopathic services. In
1997, Oxford Health Plans, possibly the most progressive managed care company in the Northeast,
Chapter One: Naturopathic Medicine 33