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Availability of
certain Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medical (CAIM) treatments and
Tennesseans Freedom to choose those options is in significant jeopardy.
Many things have happened at a fast pace in the last few months. Tennesseans
For Healthcare Freedom have been working with key legislators to introduce
and pass into a law, a statutory protection to allow Healthcare Freedom of
Choice.
As a result of the House sub committee hearing on
Wednesday, 5-4-05, it appears that our "Freedom to Choose Bill (HB0174) has
been rolled over to next year, but not without benefit in the present.
The Senate committee refrained from taking action
on the bill (SB0237) apparently deferring to the actions of the House where it
was under study for the past year.
During the House sub committee hearing, we were
unsure of how several of the members would vote. Our strategy depended on
which of the representatives were present during the vote. In an unusual move,
Representative Joe Armstrong from Knoxville appeared and was seated and
recognized in the proceeding. Joe Armstrong is the Chairman of the full house
committee and according to rules he would be allowed to vote in the sub
committee hearing. It was learned from our lobbyist that Armstrong had
informed him that he would vote against the Bill.
A motion was made to roll the Bill to
January, 2006.
Before voting on this motion, a request was made
the Board of Medical Examiners consent to some provisions. The first was that
the Board not unduly harass any physicians who provide intravenous therapies
during this time, that Physicians who want to, be allowed to participate in
the TACT study initiated by the National Institute of Health regarding
Chelation Therapy and that patients be allowed to obtain intravenous therapies
during this time. They agreed to these requests.
Most of you are familiar with the fact that the
original intent of this Bill was to assure patients the right to chose their
health care and for physicians to provide this care as is the case with
legislation passed in 31 states so far. The Board of Medical Examiners and the
Tennessee Medical Association made it an intravenous therapy and specifically
a chelation therapy issue. One of the Representatives during the hearing
brought up the fact that it is still a freedom to choose issue and should be
pursued as such for the safety and health of all Tennesseans.
We are asking for input from all of you through E
mail as to ideas and a direction we want to proceed in during the next year.
We will also be scheduling a meeting to discuss these directions in the near
future. Keep in mind that the legislation to choose your health care
treatment is important and should be pursued when it comes up again in
January, 2006.
We
pledge to work diligently on your behalf, to achieve a health care system in
which practitioners can practice in good conscience, with the well–being of the
patient foremost in their minds, and without fear of recrimination for the use
of Complementary, Alternative and Integrative therapies; ensure Tennessean’s
right to medical freedom and access to the full range of health–promotion and
treatment methods; create a health care environment that fosters advancements in
health promotion, disease prevention and treatment, as well as cooperation among
the many types of practitioners.
(adapted from The American Association for Health Care Freedom)
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