001. there's [from 2018-03-19; via AP]:
001.a. the Miami Herald in "LePage Vetoes Bill to Give Naturopaths Insurance Access":
"AUGUSTA, Maine. Maine Gov. Paul LePage has vetoed a bill to require insurance carriers to provide coverage for services provided by naturopathic doctors. Naturopathy's an alternative medical system that focuses on things like diet, herbs and vitamins instead of pharmaceuticals. The Maine Association of Naturopathic Doctors used social media on Monday to urge residents to request an override of the veto. LePage's veto message says the bill would restrict insurance carriers from constructing provider networks that 'deliver quality and cost-effective services.' Some mainstream medical groups oppose granting naturopaths access to insurance, or licensing them to practice at all. The Massachusetts Medical Society issued a statement last year opposing the licensure of naturopaths in that state, saying the field 'lacks rigorous medical training and standards of care.'"
hear, hear. What's disturbing is that therein, with a veto, the legislators FAILED to catch the nonsense!
001.b. also at:
ABC affiliate wmtw.com in "Maine Gov Vetoes Bill to Give Naturopaths Insurance Access";
002. I'd say not becoming an accessory to naturopathy is a good thing. After all, it is fellow New England state Connecticut's allied healthcare consortia that recently concluded in "Report to the General Assembly: A Report Based on the Committee on the Practice of Naturopathy Convened Pursuant to Special Act 16-3 Raul Pino, MD, MPH, Commissioner February 17, 2017" [2017 archived]:
"naturopaths trained in this state, or any state, do not have sufficient education and training at this time to safely prescribe the medications they have requested. They do not have the scientific foundation, nor even the commitment to evidence-based therapy that must be the cornerstone of all practice, let alone practice that involves risk to life and limb."
true that.
