PLEASE VOTE YES AND CO-SPONSOR

HOUSE BILL 259

OHIO CONSUMER HEALTH FREEDOM BILL

 

_____________, 2011 

 

The Honorable _____________________               

House of Representatives

77 South High Street

Columbus, Ohio  43215

 

Dear Representative ______________________:

 

Please Vote YES and Co-sponsor HOUSE BILL 259, the Ohio Consumer Health Freedom Act!

 

Currently, complementary and alternative health care practitioners, who present no harm to the public, are in jeopardy of being charged with “unlicensed practice of medicine.” 

 

Who are complementary and alternative health care practitioners?  They are naturopaths, herbalists, and reflexologists, among others.  They practice therapies that are historical or cultural or do not fall within the realm of conventional medicine.

 

These practitioners are providing valuable and needed health services to Ohioans and must remain free to work so that consumers can exercise the right to access health care options and make informed healthcare choices.  Right here in Ohio, investigations have taken place for merely advertising or stating credentials and we need to change this. 

 

The Ohio Consumers Health Freedom Act is needed NOW and will exempt practitioners from charges of “practicing medicine” so long as they avoid prohibited conduct listed in the new law and provide consumer disclosure statements.  It will protect consumer options to valuable complementary and alternative health care modalities that are sought out by Ohio citizens by recognizing and setting forth specific safeguards for these practices.  Further, this bill specifies that healthcare providers currently regulated under Ohio law that also practice alternative and complementary health care will continue to be regulated for the conventional medicine they practice, just as they are today.

 

Eight states currently have similar consumer health freedom laws and include: Minnesota, California, Rhode Island, Louisiana, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Idaho. 

 

 

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