Spring 2004 Newsletter
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HEALTH FREEDOM NEWS A Publication of National Health Freedom Coalition Spring 2004 Working to Protect Your Access to Healing Options eing able to make your own decisions passing health freedom legislation that removes about your health and healing options is blockages to consumer access to unlicensed Bimportant. Unfortunately, laws and pub- health care practitioners. The new laws exempt lic policies have grown up in our country limit- practitioners who comply with particular ing our access to information and services. requirements from criminal charges of practic- National Health Freedom Coalition (NHFC) is ing medicine without a license. Thus many voca- working to promote access to maximum healing tions and trades that do not pose an imminent and health care options for consumers. NHFC risk of harm to the public are being returned to analyzes existing laws and public policies, public domain. Other states have introduced develops creative solutions and trains advocates similar legislation, and some are also advocating who wish to work for change. NHFC teaches cit- legislation to expand the ability of licensed prac- izens health freedom principles and the basics titioners, such as doctors, dentists, and nurses, to of organizing and mobilizing resources to make use unconventional healing methods. Change is change happen. happening rapidly! Having free access to all health care practi- Keynote speakers Clinton Miller, Jim Turner and Diane Miller, Director of Legal and Public tioners, products, services and information Diane Miller at NHFC Conference. Policy for NHFC and NHFA, says,“Our goal is to involves federal laws, state laws, and even mobilize the resources needed to address every international laws. One of the most pressing mal standards of the accepted and prevailing piece of the complex web of regulations that limit needs right now is reform of state practitioner practice for their profession. options in health and healing. That means free- regulations. Many people have historically Amazingly, prosecutions are happening even ing unlicensed healers from fear of arbitrary been unaware of the jeopardy under which when there is no evidence of harm to the public, criminal prosecution. It means giving licensed their alternative healers practice. However, in and when statements made by practitioners are healers latitude to use unconventional healing many states, under present laws, alternative truthful.You might ask,“Why can’t I have access methods for their patients. It means ensuring practitioners are at risk of being closed down to this healer? No harm has been done!” That is that substances and devices used for healing will or prosecuted. what many folks are now asking, and that is pre- be freely accessible, and that practitioners can Nearly all states have prohibitions against cisely why the health freedom movement is rip- give truthful information about them.” practicing medicine without a license, and the pling across the country in a new way, changing NHFC hopes that soon there will be a health ‘practice of medicine’ is defined so broadly that antiquated legislation to provide us with the freedom presence in all 50 states, including it includes virtually any kind of healing work. choices we need and want. knowledgeable advocates able to respond to Thus many practitioners who do not have some NHFC works hand in hand with its sister any infringement on their rights to access the form of medical license are vulnerable to crimi- organization, National Health Freedom Action, healing arts. nal prosecution. (NHFA) a lobbying group, and is instrumental in In the US, we have many freedoms that we Licensed practitioners such as doctors,nurs- providing information and resources to inde- cherish: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, es and dentists,who are offering alternative serv- pendent health freedom groups and individuals the right to assemble, and most importantly the ices, have a different problem. They risk losing in over 30 states.Already,three states,Minnesota, freedom to be in charge of our own health and their licenses for practicing outside of the mini- Rhode Island, and California, have succeeded in well-being. Our laws need to reflect these rights and protect our access to all of the kinds of NHFC 2003 First Annual Health Freedom Conference . 2 health care that we deem best for ourselves. Three states have new health freedom legislation . 3 Proposed federal legislation threatens to We would love to have you join us in our restrict your access to supplements . 4 efforts! If you would like to become a member, What's happening in state health freedom movements? . 5 go to our website at www.nationalhealthfree- Educating about Registration . 7 dom.org, or call 651 688 6515. Inside Health Freedom Leaders Gather First Annual National Conference for Health Freedom Advocates September 30 – November 2, 2003 n the beauteous halls of Assisi Heights, what never was, and never will be.” Miller Rochester, Minnesota, some of the finest emphasized the need to change and revise laws Iminds and most superb activists for health as a country grows and develops into new aware- National Health freedom in our country gathered for the first ness, and that we must be proactive in shaping Freedom Coalition annual Conference for Health Freedom our laws and public policies to conform with our Advocates sponsored by NHFC. emerging consciousness. THE VISION: Keynote speaker Clinton Miller, health The conference program included panels of A healthy nation, with freedom advocate for five decades, laid the health freedom leaders from 10 states who empowered people, making historical groundwork. From1962 until 1972, shared strategies for success in introducing informed health care decisions. Miller helped to resist the FDA’s proposals to health freedom legislation in their states. Other limit the potency of vitamin and mineral supple- leaders provided workshops on grass-roots The Mission: ments, and to require a doctor’s prescription for mobilization, lobbying, and fund-raising. To promote access to all health care higher potencies. Do you take for granted your Honored and inspired by the great heritage information, services, treatments and right to take 500 mg of vitamin C every morning? left by leaders before us, we were all re-commit- products that the people deem benefi- Where would we be today if it were not for heroes ted to doing our part now to address the chal- cial for their own health and survival; like Clinton Miller who fought hard to retain our lenges of this new day. to promote an understanding of the right to make that choice? laws and factors impacting the right Keynote speaker and attorney James to access; and to promote the health Turner addressed the broad picture of freedom, of the people of this nation. maintaining that “the backbone of freedom is information and choice,” and that people, given Board of Directors good information, can make the choices that are LEO CASHMAN best for them. There is a growing movement for Educator, Activist, Writer not only alternative health care, but also for non- JERRI JOHNSON, BSN toxic energy, alternative transportation modes, Homeopath and alternative types of education. The many DIANE MILLER, JD segments of this movement can benefit from Attorney, Writer, Activist working together for common goals. Health freedom advocate Clinton Miller and his LINDA PETERSON Attorney and keynote speaker Diane wife Bonnie. Wellness Educator Miller gave examples where old and outdat- WILLIAM LEE RAND ed laws are jeopardizing our abilities to Award Banquet Honors Reiki teacher, Author, Publisher make our own choices in our health care. Health Freedom Leaders C. NORMAN SHEALY, MD, PHD, Currently Director of Legal and Public Policy Health Freedom Leadership Awards were Founder, American Holistic Med. Assoc. for NHFC, Miller described the Lilly Rott case given to the following leaders for outstanding in Oklahoma where four children have been contribution to health freedom: NHFC is a 501©3 educational taken away from their parents by child protec- Clinton Miller has advocated and lobbied nonprofit organization tion because the parents took their daughter for over five decades to protect our health free- with leukemia to a Switzerland Cancer Hospital doms. Miller was instrumental in drafting and PMD 218, 2136 Ford Parkway for care instead of staying in the American hos- lobbying the Proxmire Vitamin Bill, which pre- St. Paul, MN 55116-1863 pital. Billy Best is a young man who had cancer vented the FDA from limiting potency on vita- www.nationalhealthfreedom.com and who used the supplement 714X from mins unless they were found to be intrinsically email: [email protected] Canada; but now the US government is not dangerous, and also in the passage of the Dietary Phone: 651-690-0732 allowing 714X to be brought across the border Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) into the United States; and a nurse in Wisconsin of 1994. N EWSLETTER AND OTHER GRAPHIC SERVICES BY who was helping people with NAET allergy Jim Turner,Esq., is founder and President of Sundancer Graphics testing was charged with practicing medicine Citizens for Health, a national consumer organi- without a license. zation.Turner was a leader in passage of DSHEA, YOUR ON-CALL, OFF-SITE GRAPHICS DEPARTMENT 509.999.3016 [email protected] Having recently spent an afternoon at the which ensured all Americans access to natural Jefferson Memorial, she read from the words of substances such as vitamins and herbs. Turner Visit www.sundancergraphics.com for Thomas Jefferson,“If a nation expects to be igno- has represented mercury-free dentists before cool greeting cards, prints, gifts and more. rant and free in a state of civilization, it expects Continued on page 4 2 Three Recently Passed Health Freedom Bills hree states have recently passed legislation Because of the severe budgetary constraints in behind one’s method of treatment. that returns the healing arts to the public California, the CHFC pursued an interesting and In combination, these requirements serve to Tdomain when there is not an imminent somewhat technical legislative strategy - a strategy protect patients while allowing for maximum risk of significant harm to the public.