House Bill On Naturopathic Insurance Reimbursement: A Preview

This week at the State House, Senate and House members agreed on a version of a bill that will require some insurance plans to cover visits to naturopathic doctors.  Before we get to the economic impacts of the bill, we wanted to know: what is it exactly that naturopathic Drs. do?

In New Hampshire, naturopathic doctors:

• Are educated in 4-year programs which cover the same biomedical and clinical sciences coursework as traditional MD programs.
• Conduct standard physical examinations (heart, lung, GI, neurological etc)
• Prescribe certain medications including antibiotics, vaccinations and hormones (thyroid, insulin and sex hormones)
• Do pap smears, wet preps, breast and prostate exams
• Order standard lab tests and diagnostic imaging (routine blood work, x-rays, ultrasounds, mammograms etc)
• Administer vaccinations (usually alternative schedules) and basic phlebotomy services

According to NH Association of Naturopathic Physicians,

Naturopathic Medicine is a unique and distinct system of health care that emphasizes the use of prevention and natural therapeutics. The doctors who practice naturopathic medicine, called naturopathic doctors (NDs), are trained to serve as primary care general practitioners who are experts in the prevention, diagnosis, management, and treatment of both acute and chronic health conditions.

That’s all you need to know for now — stay tuned tomorrow for all the details on HB351.