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MALVERN, Pa., Oct. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- According to a new report
from the Insurance Research Council (IRC), approximately one out of every
three auto injury insurance claimants nationwide receives some form of
alternative medical treatment (See Note 1), and charges from alternative-
treatment providers account for approximately one-third of the total charges
from all types of medical providers. Much of the recent growth in the
utilization of alternative treatment in auto injury claims has involved non-
chiropractic treatment, primarily acupuncture and massage therapy, although
chiropractic treatment remains the most common form of alternative treatment.
The report, Alternative Medical Treatment in Auto Injury Insurance Claims,
analyzes treatment utilization and cost data for more than 72,000 auto injury
insurance claims closed with payment in 2002. Thirty-two insurance companies,
representing 58 percent of the private passenger auto insurance market in the
United States, participated in the study.
Utilization of chiropractic and other types of alternative treatment
varied widely across states even though the injuries involved were similar. In
Minnesota, for example, 64 percent of all bodily injury liability claimants
and 42 percent of all no-fault claimants received alternative treatment. In
Michigan, another no-fault state, 14 percent of bodily injury liability and
no-fault claimants received alternative treatment. In traditional tort
liability states, alternative treatment utilization also varied widely, from
17 percent in Indiana, to 52 percent in California, for bodily injury
liability claims.
"The wide variation in the utilization of alternative treatment raises
important questions about the appropriateness and efficacy of treatment for
auto injuries in some states," notes Elizabeth A. Sprinkel, senior vice
president of the IRC. "These findings suggest either widespread disagreement
about how to treat auto injuries or a failure in some states to adhere to
existing treatment standards. Whether you are a believer in alternative
treatment or a skeptic, these findings are troubling."
For more detailed information on the study's methodology and findings,
contact Elizabeth Sprinkel by phone at (610) 644-2212, ext. 7568; or by e-mail
at irc@cpcuiia.org. Or visit IRC's Web site at http://www.ircweb.org. Copies
of the study are available at $100 each in the U.S. ($115 elsewhere) postpaid
from the Insurance Research Council, 720 Providence Rd., Suite 100, Malvern,
Pa. 19355-3433. Phone (610) 644-2212, ext 7574. Fax: (610) 640-5388.
Note 1: Complementary and alternative medicine (shortened to "alternative
treatment" for this report) is defined by the National Institutes of Health,
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, as "a group of
diverse medical and health care systems that are not presently considered to
be part of conventional medicine-that is, medicine as practiced by holders of
M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and their allied
health professionals, such as physical therapists, psychologists, and
registered nurses."
SOURCE Insurance Research Council
CONTACT: Karen M. Gerace of Insurance Research Council, +1-610-644-2100, irc@cpcuiia.org
This is a news service of Thomson Business Intelligence Service ©2006. This content is for your personal use only, subject to Terms and Conditions. No redistribution allowed.
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