Tommy Thompson sides with Health Freedom on MAJOR issue...

[Guest guest]

Dear Group,

 

Yes, This is a good sign, but......

 

I have been hearing about this for a couple of days now. I trust Thompson about

as far as I could throw him.

 

My personal opinion is don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen, I

suspect it will be a very long time before any alternative treatments are ever

paid for by any form of insurance.

 

There are a lot of treatments now that are recognized as being kinda semi

establishment, but not big pharma types, that are not reimbursable now.

 

My distrust of the entrenched politics and money at stake here, I don't see it

as a simple matter of recognition of insurance codes to " legitamize "

alternative methods.

 

I think that they are dangling a carrot here in hopes of gaining something

somewhere.

 

Just my 2 cents

 

Frank

 

 

 

http://www.internetwks.com/BOLENREPORT/articles/timbolen.html

 

Tommy Thompson sides with " Health Freedom " on MAJOR issue...

 

Opinion by Consumer Advocate Tim Bolen

 

January 27th, 2003

 

I've got the BIGGEST story in North American Health Freedom, EVER. Here it is.

 

The conventional medicine stranglehold on health care has been broken - period.

It was done in Health & Human Services Director Tommy Thompson's office on

January 16th, 2003 when Thompson SIGNED the approvals to use a new billing code

system called ABC Codes in HIPAA transactions.

 

I told you the Bush administration was on the side of " health " before. Some of

you doubted. Here's another example...

 

Let me explain. Prior to Thompson's action, the world of health practitioners

had been dependent, for billing, on two basic systems. One is called the

" Diagnostic Codes, " and the other is known as the Physicians’ " Current

Procedural Terminology or CPT® codes. " The World Health Organization (WHO) owns

the rights to the " Diagnostic Codes. " The American Medical Association (AMA)

owns the rights to the " " Current Procedural Terminology or CPT® codes. " Each

gets paid money each time the code is used. The codes, both sets, are used to

bill Medicare, health insurance, etc.

 

The WHO " Diagnostic Codes " are simply that - diagnostic codes. But it was the

CPT® codes that became the ISSUE in health care. Simply, the AMA would NOT issue

codes for alternative health care. Congress told them. Federal Judges told them.

Their membership told them. They didn't listen. What was happening, of course,

was that the AMA was controlling, through its codes, or lack of codes, what

actual procedures would be paid for, and which ones would NOT be paid for.

 

That's over. The AMA has lost. January 16th, 2003 was their " Waterloo. " Enter,

from stage left - ABC Codes - which are designed specifically for alternative

practitioners.

 

Understand this. Thompson signed off on the first part of the project - a two

year sort of pilot program, where they see how well it works. It's up to YOU to

see that it works well... There is a 60 day sign-up period. The clock is

running. It started January 16th, 2003.

 

Health practitioners - GET INVOLVED IN THIS RIGHT NOW!

 

There is a website you need to visit to read more about this. Read ALL of it.

I've been on the phone with the ABC Codes project people yesterday, and today,

at length. They'll have their website updated for the information you need to be

PART of this VERY soon.

 

They have gained the approval of not only Tommy Thompson, but every agency of

" standards " in the United States. They have over 4,200 codes available right

now. You've got to go to the website www.alternativelink.com right now. If

you're a practitioner, you don't have ANYTHING better to do in the next half

hour.

 

Go do it. You're welcome... And, yes, you may pass this story along to anyone.

 

Tim Bolen - Consumer Advocate

 

 

 

 

Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc.

 

To , e-mail to: Gettingwell-

Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Got to disagree with you on this one, Frank. You may not like Tommy but this

is a HUGE win. Unfortunately, I deal with HIPAA a lot and this is a really

big issue. To have the government's support on this issue will really be a

big boost, but we cannot take it for granted. Now is the time to get behind

this and support the decision.

 

Ken

-

" Frank " <califpacific

<gettingwell >

Wednesday, January 29, 2003 6:45 PM

Tommy Thompson sides with " Health Freedom " on MAJOR

issue...

 

 

 

Dear Group,

 

Yes, This is a good sign, but......

 

I have been hearing about this for a couple of days now. I trust Thompson

about as far as I could throw him.

 

My personal opinion is don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen, I

suspect it will be a very long time before any alternative treatments are

ever paid for by any form of insurance.

 

There are a lot of treatments now that are recognized as being kinda semi

establishment, but not big pharma types, that are not reimbursable now.

 

My distrust of the entrenched politics and money at stake here, I don't see

it as a simple matter of recognition of insurance codes to " legitamize "

alternative methods.

 

I think that they are dangling a carrot here in hopes of gaining something

somewhere.

 

Just my 2 cents

 

Frank

 

 

 

http://www.internetwks.com/BOLENREPORT/articles/timbolen.html

 

Tommy Thompson sides with " Health Freedom " on MAJOR issue...

 

Opinion by Consumer Advocate Tim Bolen

 

January 27th, 2003

 

I've got the BIGGEST story in North American Health Freedom, EVER. Here it

is.

 

The conventional medicine stranglehold on health care has been broken -

period. It was done in Health & Human Services Director Tommy Thompson's

office on January 16th, 2003 when Thompson SIGNED the approvals to use a new

billing code system called ABC Codes in HIPAA transactions.

 

I told you the Bush administration was on the side of " health " before. Some

of you doubted. Here's another example...

 

Let me explain. Prior to Thompson's action, the world of health

practitioners had been dependent, for billing, on two basic systems. One is

called the " Diagnostic Codes, " and the other is known as the Physicians'

" Current Procedural Terminology or CPT® codes. " The World Health

Organization (WHO) owns the rights to the " Diagnostic Codes. " The American

Medical Association (AMA) owns the rights to the " " Current Procedural

Terminology or CPT® codes. " Each gets paid money each time the code is used.

The codes, both sets, are used to bill Medicare, health insurance, etc.

 

The WHO " Diagnostic Codes " are simply that - diagnostic codes. But it was

the CPT® codes that became the ISSUE in health care. Simply, the AMA would

NOT issue codes for alternative health care. Congress told them. Federal

Judges told them. Their membership told them. They didn't listen. What was

happening, of course, was that the AMA was controlling, through its codes,

or lack of codes, what actual procedures would be paid for, and which ones

would NOT be paid for.

 

That's over. The AMA has lost. January 16th, 2003 was their " Waterloo. "

Enter, from stage left - ABC Codes - which are designed specifically for

alternative practitioners.

 

Understand this. Thompson signed off on the first part of the project - a

two year sort of pilot program, where they see how well it works. It's up to

YOU to see that it works well... There is a 60 day sign-up period. The clock

is running. It started January 16th, 2003.

 

Health practitioners - GET INVOLVED IN THIS RIGHT NOW!

 

There is a website you need to visit to read more about this. Read ALL of

it. I've been on the phone with the ABC Codes project people yesterday, and

today, at length. They'll have their website updated for the information you

need to be PART of this VERY soon.

 

They have gained the approval of not only Tommy Thompson, but every agency

of " standards " in the United States. They have over 4,200 codes available

right now. You've got to go to the website www.alternativelink.com right

now. If you're a practitioner, you don't have ANYTHING better to do in the

next half hour.

 

Go do it. You're welcome... And, yes, you may pass this story along to

anyone.

 

Tim Bolen - Consumer Advocate

 

 

 

 

Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc.

 

To , e-mail to: Gettingwell-

Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell

 

 

 

 

Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now