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The new health care bill before Congress may force mainstream health insurance providers to cover alternative health care practices, such as acupuncture, massage, naturopathy and chiropractics. Currently, the vast majority of health insurance providers offer only limited coverage for "alternative" health care techniques and therapies, forcing most Americans to pay for them out of pocket. Current estimates put the amount Americans spend on alternative health care at $34 billion, a figure that is expected to grow in the coming years.

Alternative Medicine Not Always Covered

America's health insurance providers offer services on a state-by-state basis. If a state mandates that a certain technique or therapy be covered by health insurance companies then they must cover it - but this applies only to health insurance offered by employers, not health insurance obtained privately. Most states require insurance carriers to cover breast-cancer examinations, for example, but only a handful (11, according to the Council for Affordable Health Insurance) require insurance providers to cover acupuncture therapy. California is one state where health insurance providers must cover acupuncture, chiropractics, and other so-called alternative medicine therapies and products.

Health Care Reform

The new health care reform bill currently being debated in Congress contains a provision that could change all that. A specific provision of H. R. 3590, as the health bill is called, could make health care providers cover alternative medicine techniques anywhere that these techniques are licensed by state regulatory agencies. In stipulating that health insurance companies cannot discriminate against licensed state providers, it's highly likely that insurance companies will have to offer all licensed services under their terms of coverage. Given the nature of House and Senate negotiations regarding reconciliation of their respective health care bills, it's not clear that the provision will be in the final bill signed into law. If it is, then time will tell how alternative medicine coverage fares under the new law. People with questions regarding alternative medical coverage offered by their health insurance provider should seek clarification with an insurance representative.

What do you think will happen with alternative medicine in the new health care bill?

2010 ushered in a new beginning for many, especially those who have decided to get in shape and lose those unwanted extra pounds. Becausetwo-thirds of all adult Americans are overweight, exercise and dieting are some of the most common New Year's resolutions people make. Luckily, your health insurance provider is an excellent resource for achieving those goals!

Obesity Leads to Disease

Obesity is one of the leading causes for an abundance of diseases including diabetes, heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gallbladder disease, various cancers, osteoarthritis and sleep apnea. To ensure your physical well-being and to better manage their overall costs, many insurance companies offer an array of assistance to help better manage this American epidemic.

Steps to Getting in Shape

The first step in committing to any fitness or weight loss goal is to meet with your doctor regarding your overall health and determining your appropriate BMI (body mass index). Once that task is complete, your primary physician can provide you with a sensible plan and alert you a slew of benefits provided by your health insurance provider such as:

• Gym Membership Discounts: The average annual cost for a gym membership is around $775, but by tapping into the health and wellness portion of your health insurance, you may be able to shave 30% off of those fees.
• Fitness Programs: Perhaps pumping iron is not your idea of a good time. Insurance providers have also contracted with other partners to offer policyholders specialty exercise programs. It is not uncommon to find options for walking, arthritis fitness or even dance classes to include into your daily routine.
• Education: Health insurance providers have invested time and effort to making their websites easier to navigate and populating the pages with valuable information. California based insurance provider Kaiser Permanentehas tons of podcasts, videos and articles all geared towards achieving weight loss goals and maintaining a healthy weight after dieting success.
• Support Groups: For over 40 years, Weight Watchers has been a long-time favorite support group and diet plan for those struggling to achieve their diet goals. Some insurance providers work directly with the program to negotiate a discounted rate for their policyholders to take advantage of.
• Surgery: There are some Americans that need to take more drastic measures to help them achieve their weight loss goals. For those who are more than 100 lbs. overweight, surgery may be an option. If healthy eating and exercise are not enough to help you in your weight loss goal, lap band surgery or gastric bypass procedures may be your answer, and your health insurance may cover the treatment.

The types of programs and benefit levels regarding weight loss vary between insurance providers. By taking the time to review all the additional perks to your health insurance plan, you may find a plethora of services and options, perfect for keeping your New Year's resolution of dieting on point.

Have you used your health insurance plan to help gain access to a healthier lifestyle?

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