‘Health Freedom’ language now officially part of New Mexico Complementary and Alternative Medicine Project’s right-to-practice campaign

ALBUQUERQUE — A group lobbying for passage of a right-to-practice act for unlicensed alternative health practitioners in New Mexico decided last night to use the terms “health freedom” and “health freedom act” in its campaign. The group plans to update its website language to reflect that.

The New Mexico Complementary and Alternative Medicine Project (NMCAAMP) agreed that the “health freedom act” terminology quickly communicates its objective to various segments of the public and to legislators whose support the group needs to enlist.

And it capitalizes on the existing public awareness of the health freedom campaigns that have passed similar acts in recent years in six states.

A health freedom act does several things:

- Guarantees your right to choose and to have access to alternative and traditional healing modalities of all sorts.

- Protects you from unscrupulous or misleading practitioners by requiring any unlicensed practitioners to provide you with a full, written disclosure detailing, among other things, their background, qualifications, training and the nature of their treatment or approach; and prohibits them from using state-regulated titles, or representing themselves as being licensed practitioners.

- Statutorily ensures your right to sue and/or file grievances against practitioners if they cause harm.

- Avoids heavy and expensive layers of government oversight and regulation of the myriad alternative modalities. No new agencies, bureaus or funding are required.

- Guarantees that otherwise unregulated alternative health-care practitioners can practice (within the constraints of the health-freedom act) without fear of being criminally prosecuted for practicing medicine without a license or otherwise being in violation of the state’s medical practices act.

The New Mexico group, which has engaged the services of lobbyist Mike Walker, is continuing to iron out the wording for the health freedom act that it will be asking the Legislature to adopt in the January 2007 session.

Walker reported that he had spoken with State Senator Steve Komadina who successfully carried a bill last session calling for a study to determine the need for legislation establishing the rights of alternative healers and traditional healers such as curanderos to practice in New Mexico. And, Walker said, he spoke with the bill’s author, Kathleen O’Dea, director of the professional boards and commissions section of the state Regulation and Licensing Department.

Komadina, Walker said, is committed to protecting the public’s right to access to alternative care and the rights of alternative practitioners to practice. O’Dea, he said, is planning to form and convene the study committee in early summer that was called for in Komadina’s bill.

Walker said O’Dea welcomed his suggestion that the three elected directors of NMCAAMP serve on the committee.

> To monitor or participate in the NMCAAMP effort and discussions, and to be notified of upcoming activities, join its email list.

> See summaries of earlier articles about health freedom and the New Mexico health-freedom effort.

5-12-06 UPDATE: This article has been corrected. In its initial version it had incorrectly referred to New Mexico Complementary and Alternative Medicine Project organization as being named the New Mexico Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practitioners.