A survey of patients' out-of-pocket payments for complementary and alternative medicine therapies.
OBJECTIVE
Investigate the out-of-pocket payments for complementary and alternative therapies.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study using the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.


METHODS
Fourteen thousand and twenty-six US adults aged > or =25 years from 10,597 answering households. Respondents to the survey were only included in this analysis if they used a single CAM therapy which was not covered by insurance.


METHODS
Reported out-of-pocket payments.


RESULTS
Out of 836 users of alternative therapies, 577 used only a single therapy. Massage therapy (23.7%), spiritual healing (16.6%) and herbal therapy (14.7%) were the most frequently single used therapies. The out-of-pocket payments per visit for providers was on average $49 for nutritional advice, $44 for acupuncture, $33 for massage, $23 for herbal therapies, and $9 for spiritual healing.


CONCLUSIONS
These are the first estimates of the out-of-pocket payments for specific complementary and alternative therapies. They can help understand the importance people place on these therapies.
Bridevaux
I Peytremann
IP
HSR&D VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA. ipb@u.washington.edu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018588:Fee-for-Service Plans; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States