In case you missed it, October 7-13 last year was Naturopathic Medicine Week. This is an honor unanimously awarded by the U.S. Senate that recognizes “the value of naturopathic medicine in providing safe, effective, and affordable health care.” If you missed it, don’t worry. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) introduced another resolution celebrating it this October. This is a puzzling move for the so-called Science Party.
Beginners:
Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a system of medicine based on the healing powers of nature. Naturopathy is a holistic system. In other words, a naturopathic doctor (ND) or naturopathic doctor (NMD) seeks to find the cause of disease by understanding a person’s body, mind, and spirit. [University of Maryland Medical Center]
Naturopathic doctors agree, even if it doesn’t seem very scientific. In a revealing interview, naturopathic oncologist Daniel Rubin said: [as naturopaths] That is a widely held belief about the scientific method. ”
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However, while naturopaths eschew the scientific method, they are very keen to imitate the trappings of mainstream medicine. To that end, they have established their own accredited degree-granting schools and professional associations, seeking state recognition as a sign of legitimacy. And many states agree, even though natural remedies have been linked to a variety of negative health effects, including death. Seventeen states license “naturopathic doctors,” and some states allow naturopathic doctors to prescribe medications and even perform minor surgeries.
This explains much, from the Democratic Party’s claimed status as the “party of science” to the wisdom of letting lawmakers decide what is and is not “safe, effective, and affordable health care.” Lessons can be drawn. But instead, I would like to focus on how the treatment of naturopathic doctors compares to a more respectable group of medical professionals: nurses.
Through occupational licensing, states limit the scope of work that nurses can perform with or without the supervision of a physician. In some states, these restrictions are strict. For example, in Texas, highly skilled nurses must have physician supervision. And nurses are not allowed to perform many medical services at all, even under the supervision of a doctor. As a result, medical costs increase.
Proponents of these restrictions say they are necessary to protect public health and safety, but the evidence does not support this. Studies have shown that nurses perform as well or better than licensed physicians in a significant portion of health care services (from 25 percent in some specialties to 90 percent in primary care). It has been repeatedly shown that
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But public health is not really a concern here, as the naturopathic example shows. If so, it makes no sense to give naturopathic doctors (who do not provide effective medical care) a broader scope of practice than nurses (who provide effective medical care). As with most instances of professional licensing, the real purpose is to increase the pay of employees within the guild by limiting competition.
And it’s working. The United States has some of the most expensive doctors in the world. These restrictions naturally lead to a shortage of doctors, calling for price controls and other regulations. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Our hospitals have many answers to the physician shortage. All we need is to give people the freedom to choose good nurses in the same way they already choose bad doctors.
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