Health

HEALTH • Spring 2015 19 all 50 states the ability to see patients directly, with- out them seeing another specialist first, but due to insurance restrictions, our typical patient comes to us through a doctor or chiropractor." Ramsey has been actively lobbying for better insurance coverage of alternative therapies, both on Beacon Hill and Capitol Hill. "I have learned in my almost 25 years of practicing that medicine is more of an art than a science. It is constantly changing and evolving. We live in a very results-based world and insurance and patients demand results faster with less visits," he said. "All medical practitioners need to be open to many tradi- tional and nontraditional aspects of health care to achieve these goals. More approaches are being used and starting to seamlessly be integrated. It could probably happen faster if insurance allowed it, but everything takes time." Support from conventional docs Many practitioners agree. Dr. Jeffrey W. Tocci, owner of Tocci Dental Associates in Wellesley and an athlete who receives massage regularly, believes that general bodywork is integral to total healing, but admits that bringing "adjunctive therapies" – his term for nontraditional medicine –into the main- stream is a challenge. "Those of us who use the services know the ben- efits. We all would prefer less invasive procedures to get a positive end result," he said. According to Tocci, it's inevitable that insurance coverage for non-traditional practices will come; it's just a matter of time. And the end user will be the key. "If the consumer is pounding on the employer's door and the employer is pounding on the insurer's door, we can win the fight," he asserted. Dr. Carol Addy, an endocrinologist, former pro- fessional cyclist and certified kettle bell instructor visits Orthomed Massage for "weekly tune-ups," which she pays for through her health savings account. "As I get older, it takes longer for my body to recover and I'm more prone to injury. I have massage so little problems don't become bigger problems," Addy said. Addy pointed out that a muscle strain could lead to a doctor visit, possible pharmaceutical interven- tion and time out of work, all of which cost money. And as healthcare costs continue to spiral upward, Addy anticipates a cultural shift. "It's not a matter of just writing a prescription, but understanding what's underlying a medical prob- lem," Addy said. "Consumers will also have to adopt a cultural shift. We've developed into a society that wants a quick fix." Insurers respond Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare, the Bay State's sec- ond-largest commercial health insurer, is one com- pany responding to consumer demand for a more holistic approach to medical care. This past January, Harvard Pilgrim began offering acupuncture as a covered medical benefit, the only insurer in the region to provide full coverage for it, according to Brenda Cole, vice president for Maryann Reid, owner of Orthomed Massage Clinic in Northborough, works with her patient, Dick Miller, who sees Reid for regular treatments after suffering a calf injury in 2012. Continued on Page 29 P H O T O / E D D C O T E

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