Rising healthcare costs have been pushing increases in health benefit plans for some time. However, evidence is now emerging that adding or enhancing adjunctive care services may serve to reduce overall costs.
In an article published in Benefits and Pensions Monitor, CCNM President and CEO Bob Bernhardt highlights the findings from four randomized clinical trials to support the claim that naturopathic medicine can, in fact, save employers money.
The article, Reducing Benefit Expenditures Through Evidence-based Expansion Of Care, references how the initial focus for these four corporate clinical trials was not on how improved employee health could relate to savings, but rather on:
- Cardiovascular health as measured by the risk of a cardiovascular event
- Chronic back pain
- Rotator cuff tendonitis
- Anxiety
In one of the largest studies mentioned in this article (and most recent), 246 people were broken off into two groups. The control group was encouraged to see their standard medical providers as deemed appropriate to manage their specific conditions. Members of the active treatment group were also encouraged to continue to see their standard providers, but were also provided naturopathic care (consisting of lifestyle counseling, nutritional counseling, and dietary supplementation).
“The study showed that the group receiving naturopathic care experienced a significant risk reduction for cardiovascular events, as well as a reduction in the frequency of metabolic syndrome. The results of this study were published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ).”
We encourage you to read the full article here.
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