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Cost of complementary treatments?

Page last modified on: October 2, 2008
Question from Hetty: How much do treatments cost? Will my insurance cover any of them?
Answer —Raymond Chang, M.D.: It's highly variable depending on what you're talking about. Acupuncture, depending on the part of the country, can run from $30 to $150 a session, depending on who's doing it. The cost of herbs depends on the ingredients. Americans may not be used to the fact that there are expensive herbs, but there are.

Asians are accustomed to expensive herbs. With ginseng, for example, there's $10,000 an ounce ginseng, and there's $1 an ounce ginseng, just like there are different vintages and varieties of wines, and pricing is very different. Generally, it should not be too expensive.

Insurance does not cover herbs. Insurance sometimes covers acupuncture, depending on the insurance company and the policy you have with them. It may be subject to indications and qualifications of the practitioner. There are regional differences also on that.

On Wednesday, September 21, 2005, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Traditional Chinese Medicine. Raymond Chang, M.D. and moderator Beth Baughman Dupree, M.D., F.A.C.S. answered your questions about how to discuss Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with your cancer doctor.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Raymond Chang, M.D. is an internationally respected physician-acupuncturist uniquely trained in traditional Chinese medicine as well as contemporary Western medicine, and he is an acknowledged pioneer-specialist in integrative programs for cancer, infertility, and other difficult-to-treat conditions.

Beth Baughman DuPree, M.D., F.A.C.S.Beth Baughman DuPree, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a general surgeon. Her clinical practice is located at Holy Redeemer Hospital and St. Mary Medical Center.

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