CITIZENS FOR HEALTH FREEDOM
11127 Front Beach Road
Panama City Beach, Florida 32407
www.citizensforhealthfreedom.org

Directors/Officers

Julie K. Hilton, Director and President
Max R. Price, Director and Secretary/Treasurer
L. Charles Hilton, Jr., Director
The Honorable Ted Alvarez, Director

Citizens for Health Freedom is a Florida based organization of patients and practitioners supporting patients’ rights to have access t o responsible medical alternatives. Of particular concern is the availability of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to Florida’s consumers who seek treatment options.

Recent Legislation championed by Citizens for Health Freedom

In 2001, the Legislature passed SB 1324 (Ch.2001-116, L.O.F.) that created s. 456.41, F.S., to authorize already licensed health care practitioners to provide complementary or alternative health care treatment as an option to conventional treatment, with disclosures. Finally, the legislation revised the Florida Patient’s Bill of Rights and Responsibilities to include the right to access complementary or alternative health care treatments.

The 2006 project selected by Citizens for Health Freedom is support of legislation to Reactivate Naturopathic Medicine Licensing and to insure access to Natural Health Therapies.
Despite the widespread and growing use of CAM by Floridians as evidenced by a comprehensive report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies in 2005, licensing of naturopathic physicians, which was initiated in Florida in 1927, was suspended in 1959, and has not yet been reinstated. There were no naturopathic medical schools teaching to Florida’s licensing standards at the time of suspension, however, that has changed and there are currently seven naturopathic colleges conforming to Florida requirements, hundreds of doctors are in training and there are over 1,500 graduates nationwide. One of those naturopathic colleges is a Florida school located in Orlando.

There is a need and a demand for new naturopathic doctors in Florida.
Reactivation of Naturopathic Medical Licensing and insuring access to Natural Health Therapies is a consumer driven initiative. There is a serious problem for consumers.
Healthcare in America is in crisis – staggering high costs, insufficient access to prevention and care, and the rapid rise of chronic disease, which is currently 78% of the U.S. medical budget of 1.9 trillion! Naturopathic medicine focuses on health promotion and disease prevention. Because naturopathic physicians have alternatives to some expensive high-tech procedures, and because their preventative approach reduces the incidence of high-cost chronic conditions, naturopathic practice reduces both immediate and long-term health care costs.

Citizens for Health Freedom is formed to accomplish health freedom goals through government relations and grass roots advocacy. Our constituency is counted in the tens of thousands – aggravated, eager and ready patients – consumers.

Naturopathic legislation has been proposed for the 2006 session in Senate Bill 2678 (www.flsenate.gov) and House Bill 1261 (www.myfloridahouse.gov).

Please support this consumer cause of health freedom for all citizens of Florida!

Take action: Click here.

Citizens for Health Freedom
B.J. West, Administrative Director
407-645-4502
407-645-4503 Fx
beejwest@mindspring.com