Naturopathic Healers: FSA Eligibility

What is naturopathy?

Naturopathy, also commonly known as naturopathic medicine, is a type of medical discipline that emphasizes the power of nature and places a premium on prevention of disease and other medical conditions through the use of natural therapies. At its heart, naturopathic healers encourage patients to support their body's own natural healing abilities, as well as empowering these patients to make positive lifestyle changes to improve their overall wellness (American Association of Naturopathic Physicians).

Naturopathic healers utilize a variety of therapies and techniques to better understand the body, mind and spirit of the patient to treat a wide variety of acute and chronic medical conditions. While a visit to a naturopathic healer is similar to a visit to a primary care physician, a naturopathic healer will concentrate on diet, lifestyle, stress and environmental factors when making a diagnosis. Naturopathy has roots in 18th and 19th century medicine, and while it declined significantly in the early 20th century, it enjoyed a resurgence in the 1960s as homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal remedies and relaxation techniques became more popular and became a fixture of naturopathic treatments (World Naturopathic Federation).

Naturopathy practitioners will usually not rely on one direct treatment for a medical condition, but rather a combination of a variety of treatments and therapies. The most common naturopathic treatments include nutritional counseling, herbal medicine, homeopathic medicine, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, physical medicine, detoxification, spiritual development, lifestyle and psychological counseling and much more.

How do I obtain a Letter of Medical Necessity for naturopathic healers?

A Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) for naturopathic healers is necessary for reimbursement with most benefits providers to ensure that it is necessary for the treatment of a medical condition. This letter must outline how an account holder's medical condition necessitates naturopathic healers, how the treatment will be used to alleviate the issue and how long the treatment will last. If the treatment plan exceeds the current plan year, another LMN will have to be provided to the benefits administrator to cover the duration of the treatment.