| Independent State Health
Freedom Groups Take Action! by Diane Miller and Jerri Johnson The health freedom movement is growing logarithmically! A very impressive and successful arm of the movement is the effort to free up consumer access to the many kinds of healers and health care practitioners who offer complementary or alternative care. This is being accomplished by independent health freedom groups around the country that are creating new laws. These laws recognize and protect the fundamental rights of consumers to be in charge of their own health choices and bring practitioner rights back into the public domain. Consumers are absolutely demanding that they have access to any individual that they want and any information they desire when they are making health care choices. Historically, many practitioners were prohibited from practicing due to outdated state laws, which made all of healing a crime unless you were a licensed medical professional. Even if a practitioner was a licensed medical practitioner, they could lose their license for practicing outside of the prevailing standards of medical care. Now this is all changing as state health freedom groups are acting on the premise that health freedom is a fundamental constitutional right. They are going forward to protect their access to all kinds of practitioners by exempting practitioners from the old criminal laws and advocating for the passage of new laws. These new laws allow unlicensed and licensed practitioners to practice the broad range of healing arts as long as they have not been shown to cause significant harm to the public. Health freedom activists are promoting laws that do not infringe on healthseeker's rights and that are the least-restrictive means of regulation by the government. At the same time, these laws still meet the state's interest to protect the safety of its citizens. Such laws include concepts such as mandatory disclosures and truthful information in advertising, and prohibited practitioner acts considered to pose an imminent risk of significant harm to the public. Minnesota was the first state in the nation to pass a comprehensive law providing maximum consumer access to unlicensed healing practitioners. Since the Minnesota bill was passed in 1999, the word has spread to other states. In 2001, the National Health Freedom Coalition was founded and located in Minnesota to assist other states in learning about health freedom and moving forward in their states to adopt health freedom legislation. Here is a summary of some of the state activity underway: States that have freedom of access bills already introduced in 2004 and moving: Florida: Florida Health Freedom Coalition and Action are successfully promoting health freedom legislation in Florida. SF 1474 and HB 801 were introduced, and great progress was made in one year. The bills will be reintroduced in the 2005 Session. FHFC is increasing its support daily, including key legislators. The coalition is working hard to prepare to pass bills out of the health policy committees. More details at: www.floridahealthfreedom.org. E-mail: info@floridahealthfreedom.org Georgia: CAMA Complementary and Alternative Medical Association of Georgia (CAMAaction) has been a leader in the country in educating the public about complementary and alternative forms of healing, holding statewide and regional conferences. House Bill 1040 was introduced this session and is entitled the "State Planning For Increased Community Access Act." Marge Roberts, the association's president, continues to educate and gave a great presentation on grassroots lobbying in November 2003, at the first annual Health Freedom Conference in Minnesota. She will be presenting again at the September 2004 national conference in St. Paul. More details at: Website: www.CAMAction.org and www.camaweb.org, E-mail: cama@mindspring.com Hawaii: Representative Cynthia Evans introduced HB 2036 that allows unlicensed practitioners of health-related services to provide services. Hawaii currently has exemptions to the medical practice act for traditional Hawaiian healing practices by traditional native Hawaiian healers, both as recognized and certified as such by a panel convened by Papa Ola Lokahi. Hawaii also has licensed naturopaths. However, there is no health freedom bill for all of the other unlicensed practitioners such as homeopaths, herbalists, etc. Most recently we heard that the bill was not heard in committee. More details at: www.capitol.Hawaii.gov/site1/house. Contact Rep. Evans at (808) 586-8510 or e-mail repevans@Capitol.Hawaii.gov Iowa: Iowa Health Freedom Coalition is a young, strong health freedom group moving fast. SF294 and HF477 were introduced this session after a 2003 summer informational hearing sponsored by the Senate. In late February, Committee Chair Representative Boeddiger held a public subcommittee meeting and Iowans packed the meeting room to voice their support. Concerns were aired by the medical lobbyists in response to testimony by freedom advocates. On March 2, 2004, the bill came up for vote in the full committee of the House, and advocates packed the room once again. The bill was voted down by a two-vote margin after a special party caucus to assess the votes. Iowa health freedom leaders will continue their great work in the future. Three public meetings are scheduled around the state this summer. Friendly legislators have stated an interest in continuing to move the bill in future sessions. IHFC has a great website, a 15-minute video of Congressman Berkley Bedell supporting their bills, and a colorful and informative presentation to educate the public regarding the need for health freedom. Congratulations Iowa for a job well done! More details at: www.iowahealthfreedom.org, call (319) 269-6343, (641) 469-3289 or (515) 244-8535, or e-mail ljhanz@yahoo.com Kentucky: Representative Mary Harper has introduced HB 181, a health freedom bill modeled in some areas after California's 2002 SB 577. Lexington, Kent., offers wonderful wellness centers and an active healing arts community. More details at: www.lrc.state.ky.us/House/hseadd.htm Washington: HB2355 would exempt unlicensed practitioners from criminal charges of unlicensed practice of the licensed health professions in Washington if they practice within certain parameters and comply with certain disclosures. The bill is modeled in part on California's 2002 SB 577 and in part on new language. Latest word is that the committee chair did not put this bill on for hearing. Advocates are continuing to plan for the next session. More details at: (541) 504-7562 or e-mail drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com Bills requiring Registration of Unlicensed Practitioners: New York: In the past two years, New York has had health freedom legislation introduced but no action was taken on these bills. They now expect to introduce a new bill, which would require that all alternative health care practitioners in the State of New York register with a state government office (Consumer Affairs) before they practice the healing arts in New York. National Health Freedom Action will neither support nor actively oppose New York's registration bill if it goes forward, but rather it will educate the public on the health freedom vision and educate on the difference between registration and health freedom legislation and its impact on the public. More details at: New York Natural and Complementary Practices Project -- Newyorknaturalhealthproject.org, e-mail nynhp@earthlink.net North Carolina: In the 2003 North Carolina legislative session, the Citizens for Health Care Freedom and Carolina Health freedom Coalition promoted a health freedom bill for access to unlicensed practitioners. Revisions in session included a registration component being added that was not part of the original bill. The bill is still alive and on hold in the Health Subcommittee and no action has been taken. NHFC expects that 2004 will involve more educating of legislators and grassroots organizing and introduction of a better health freedom bill in the future. North Carolina leaders are very optimistic and mobilizing consumers throughout the state to support their efforts. More details at: www.citizensforhealthcarefreedom.org, e-mail CHF@nc.rr.com State Organizations In Drafting Stages of Health Freedom Bills (State groups and legislators preparing draft language and communicating with sponsors for introduction of health freedom bills): Michigan -- Michigan Health Freedom Coalition, (989) 779-0730 New Jersey -- New Jersey Natural Health Coalition at www.njnhc.org, e-mail membership@njnhc.org Wisconsin -- Wisconsin Health Freedom Coalition at www.wifhc.com, e-mail info@wihfc.com Louisiana -- Louisiana health freedom group State Organizations and Groups Laying Groundwork for Health Freedom Legislation (Citizen health freedom groups and organizations actively working and considering options for introduction of health freedom legislation): Arkansas -- Arkansas Health Freedom Coalition at www.arhfc.org , (479) 637-4361 or (479) 637-4441, e-mail arhfc@lycos.com Kansas -- Kansas for Health Freedom (866) 899-7905, e-mail ksccnh@yahoo.com Massachusetts -- Health Freedom Action Massachusetts, Inc. at www.healthfreedommassachusetts.org, (617) 731-5510 New Hampshire -- New Hampshire Citizens for Health, Gerhard Bedding (603) 355-2202, e-mail gbedding@earthlink.net Texas -- Texas citizen group, e-mail gretchenbfrp@yahoo.com or john@janaka.com New Mexico -- New Mexico citizen group, e-mail nearmagic@tmail.com Virginia -- Virginia Chapter of Certified Natural Health Professionals, e-mail theherbbasket@erols.com Ohio --Ohio health freedom group The following states have significant leaders and contacts ready to start health freedom groups: Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Vermont The following states already have health freedom laws: California, Idaho, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Rhode Island. Call the National Health Freedom Coalition for additional contact information. If you are from a state not yet organized and want to network with other individuals interested in health freedom, contact us, giving us permission to give out your name to others who contact us. Visit www.nationalhealthfreedom.org or contact Jerri Johnson at (651) 688-6515 or e-mail jerrijohn@aol.com Diane Miller, J.D., is director of Legal and Public Policy for NHFC and NHFA. Jerri Johnson is president of National Health Freedom Coalition. Copyright © 2004 NHFA |
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July 2004 |
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