Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Corresponding author : William E. Since , Washington State law has required private health insurance to cover licensed CAM providers. This study evaluated how insured people used CAM providers and what role this played in health care utilization and expenditures. Cross sectional analysis of calendar year insurance enrollees from Western Washington State.
Analysis of insurance demographic data, claims files, benefit information, diagnoses, CAM and conventional provider utilization, and health care expenditures for three large health insurance companies. Among over , enrollees, This included 1. CAM use was greater in women and people between 31 and 50 years of age.
Chiropractic was more frequent in less populous counties. CAM provider visits usually focused on musculoskeletal complaints, except for naturopathic physicians who treated a broader array of problems. The number of people using CAM insurance benefits was substantial; the effect on insurance expenditures was modest. Because the long term trajectory of CAM cost under third party payment is unknown, utilization of these services should be followed. During the last decade, the health professionals collectively known as complementary and alternative medicine CAM providers have been recognized as mainstream sources of health care.
Regulation by government agencies and validation of some CAM therapies by scientific studies have increased the credibility of CAM professionals. As the number of CAM providers and the visibility of CAM services increase, the pressure on third party payers to cover these services grows. Wolsko et al. The state of Washington provides an important laboratory to assess the magnitude of economic risk when a third party payer covers CAM providers. In , Washington passed a law mandating that all commercial health insurance companies cover the services provided by every category of licensed provider ECOP.
This study calculates CAM utilization and expenditures for insurance companies that underwrite Western Washington health insurance. Calendar year insurance benefit structures, CAM provider use, and spending for services are described for over , private insurance enrollees.
