State Legislative Update
By Gene Mcgill, Director of State Government Relations
You don’t need to try hard to get the latest news in politics. Between commercials, articles, radio, debates, and everyday hoopla, rhetoric is everywhere. This is an extremely important time. In just two months Congress and almost every state legislature will be up for grabs. And the most important question is not who will win, but how are we going to prepare ourselves, our state association and our grassroots organizations?
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By Gene McGill, Director of State Government Relations
Over the past several months, several licensed states have had significant gains in legislation. New Hampshire added insurance coverage for naturopathic physicians; Vermont was able to have naturopathic physicians included in medical home legislation and “shall recognize naturopathic physicians who practice primary care to be primary care physicians” included in the bill. These gains are significant to our profession and impact other states and territories that are looking for direction when considering licensure, scope expansion, or insurance coverage.
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By Gene McGill, Director of State Government Relations
The AANP would like to thank all of you who took the time out of your busy schedules to call, write or visit Albany, NY, to help in the New York licensure effort. In what has become an all to common request, Assembly Member Deborah Glick, chairwoman of the Higher Education committee, asked the bill sponsor, Assembly Member Nick Perry, to remove the bill from the committee agenda. He agreed knowing that the chair would not allow the bill to come to a vote.
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By Gene McGill, Director of State Government Relations
Activity at the state level continues even though the majority of the legislatures throughout the US are recessed for the year. Several states are still active and licensing bills for naturopathic medicine remain on the agenda. The New York Senate Education Committee passed SB 1803 and moved the bill to the Finance committee.
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February 2012: Medical Homes and the Future of Primary Care under Health Reform
By Lorilee Schoenbeck, ND AANP Board Member and VANP Past-President
Much of the federal health care reform language about medical homes and primary care has been modeled after Vermont’s current programs. As such, I would like to share what’s happening in Vermont and how this might affect the national landscape for NDs. Read more.
January 2012: Off and Running Again
By Gene McGill, Director of State Government Relations
2012 got off to a fast start for Naturopathic initiatives! In the first full week of legislative activity, some sixteen relevant measures were introduced across the United States. Read more.
December 2011: 2011 Snapshot
By Gene McGill, Director of State Government Relations
Out with the old, in with the new! Not so fast. For the past two years Dr. Carl Hangee-Bauer has served as the President of the Board of Directors for the AANP. Under his direction the board has moved forward with an increased emphasis on government affairs, both federal and state. Read more.
For the past nine years Karen E. Howard has served the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians as their Executive Director. And from the moment she began Karen used her expertise guiding and directing the AANP.
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The Texas Attorney General filed suit against a Ft. Worth, Texas, resident, Valarie Saxion, and her company Valarie Saxion, Inc., accusing her of unlawfully marketing and promoting dietary supplements that she claimed would reduce, prevent or cure illnesses including breast cancer, diabetes, arthritis and depression. As it turns out, Saxion is not a naturopathic doctor.
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In a recent meeting with a representative of a state medical society, the concerns of a newly introduced naturopathic licensure bill were addressed. Typically you would expect to hear scope of practice or prescriptive rights issues. Not this time.
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The AANP’s legislative focus is for “full scope of practice” licensure in all 50 states. Unfortunately, very few (if any) legislative initiatives will ever get signed into law without compromise.
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“I just don’t think your education standards are up to that of an MD.” Have you ever heard that assertion? It is enough to stop a naturopathic doctor mid-speech when discussing licensure with a State Senate or House member.
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A quick glance at
the legislative tracking map on the AANP Web site (must be logged-in to view) will confirm more than a third of the state legislatures in the Unites States have ended their session for 2011.
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The North Dakota Legislative Assembly has passed SB 2271 for the licensure of naturopathic physicians and, as of this printing, the bill has made its way to the governors office and is schedule to be signed by North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple.
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Legislation throughout the United States with respect to naturopathic medicine continues to gain momentum. To date, over 140 pieces of legislation have been introduced that will license naturopathic physicians for the first time or expand the scope of practice for those states already licensed.
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As state legislatures continue to move through their sessions, the AANP is tracking movement of any and all naturopathic legislation for you. There are 18 states that have introduced legislation so far this year. To date, 117 bills have been introduced in legislatures throughout the United States.
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As individual states begin the process of swearing in legislators and assigning committees, the AANP and its state affiliates are also revving up the engines. At least 11 states are considering legislation for licensure of naturopathic physicians in 2011.
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The 2010 legislative session is still winding down in several states. However, our attention is now focused on efforts to reorganize for the January start with new legislative leadership, and in many cases new governors. The 2009/2010 legislative calendar has.
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State associations are busy meeting newly elected members of their respective legislatures. Members of state associations have their work cut out for them over the next few months. Republicans gained control of an additional 700 state legislative seats in the Nov. 2nd election.
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(October 2009)
The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice has made forms available to NDs seeking registration and MNANP expects that the first naturopathic doctors will be fully registered by January, 2010.
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By Michelle Clark, ND, Alliance Chair
The AANP plays a very active role at the National Foundation of Women Legislators, with Karen Howard holding a seat on its Board and naturopathic physicians in attendance at their annual conference. Working with this bipartisan organization of elected officials from all over the country is enormously rewarding. Our relationship with NFWL and its value are best summed up by Dr. Rena Bloom, one of our physicians to the legislators – no doubt the results of this work and the service of our volunteers will have enormous impact on 2010 legislative efforts.
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(July 2009)
As part of broad budget cuts in California, the legislature has passed a bill eliminating the Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine, and creating the Naturopathic Medicine Committee under the Osteopathic Board.
Read CNDA's letter.
(July 2009)
Hawaii Governor Lingle's veto of a bill to greatly expand the scope of practice of NDs was overidden on July 15, 2009. Congratulations to Hawaii for this great success.
Read the press release.
(June 2009)
The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians applauds the passage of Senate Bill 327 in the Oregon House, which expands prescribing authority for Naturopathic Doctors (ND) and will make Oregon’s naturopathic scope of practice the broadest in the nation.
Read the press release.
(February 2009)
Karen Howard's letter on the bill to repeal licensure in Idaho was published.
Read the letter.
(February 2009)
The Governor has signed a budget that preserves the Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine.
Read more from CNDA.
(May 2008)
On May 23, 2008, Minnesota enacted a law providing for the registration of naturopathic doctors.
View MNANP's press release.