AANP Urges President Trump to Expand Access to Naturopathic Medicine Under MAHA
The AANP has submitted a letter to the Trump administration urging them to embrace naturopathic medicine as part of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) platform by addressing policy barriers that limit patient access. The letter advocates for expanding Medicaid coverage for naturopathic care, integrating naturopathic physicians into veterans’ healthcare, protecting access to compounded natural medicines, and promoting “Food as Medicine” initiatives to combat chronic disease and lower healthcare costs.
Trump Transition Letter Final.docx
Federal recognition campaign aims to change outdated federal laws so that licensed naturopathic doctors can be a greater asset to our healthcare system
What is Federal Recognition?
Achieving full-scope legal recognition of the naturopathic profession throughout the U.S is one of the five goals of AANP’s strategic plan.
We want licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) to be able to practice to the full extent of their education and training and be compensated for it. We pursue legal recognition through state advocacy such as licensure and scope expansion.
At the federal level, we work to get licensed NDs recognized as eligible providers in federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Veterans Affairs.
By updating outdated laws to remove statutory barriers, licensed NDs would be recognized in federal legislation, allowing them to help alleviate the provider shortage, fill vacant jobs, provide whole-person care to more patients, and more.
BACKGROUND
Many of the barriers to care that licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) face at the federal level stem from one definition. The rules and procedures for Medicare, and any program linked to Medicare, such as residencies and certain healthcare jobs, are housed under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act.
However, the term “physician” in Title XVIII of the Social Security Act does not include licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs). The limited and outdated definition of “physician” is referenced in various public health legislation, including Medicare, that provides physicians with funding, resources, and access to federal health programs.
THE ISSUE
Licensed naturopathic doctors are not included in the definition of “physician” in section 1861(r) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(r)). By being excluded from the definition of “physician” in the laws that govern Medicare, NDs are excluded from participating in programs that link back to Medicare, and are:
- Unable to treat their patients who enroll in Medicare, forcing patients to either pay out of pocket, lose their provider of choice, or stop going to see a doctor completely
- Unable to provide care to underserved and rural communities, which have very high percentages of Medicare-eligible populations
- Unable to address the provider shortage and fill vacant jobs, such as those in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) or rural clinics, which are tied to Medicare funding
- Unable to apply for residencies, which are funded by Medicare
- Unable to apply for certain loan repayment programs that aim to bring more physicians into communities to combat the nation’s opioid epidemic, as they require applicants to be eligible to participate in Medicare
CAMPAIGN GOAL
We are advocating for Congress to change the outdated and limited definition of “physician” in the Social Security Act to include licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) so that they can be a better asset to our healthcare system. By doing so, licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) will be included in the laws that govern Medicare, allowing them to help alleviate the provider shortage, fill vacant healthcare jobs, provide whole-person care to Medicare populations and underserved communities, and more.
By eliminating the obstacles that prevent licensed NDs from providing care to the full extent of their education and training, NDs can serve more patients and be hired for healthcare jobs that would benefit from the kind of high-quality, patient-centered care that they provide.