California Budget and The Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine

Good news! Governor Schwarzenegger signed the budget on Friday. He made $600 million in further cuts but, fortunately, none of the additional cuts affect our Bureau. The trailer bills also passed with no mention of us.  So for the time being, we are in the clear! Thank you for all of your support – in donating time and money, energizing your friends and patients and being responsive to our requests.

Of course, the proposed Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) restructuring effort that included the elimination of the Bureau has not disappeared. We could see it (or another version of it) as soon as April, especially if the expected revenues do not come in.

The good thing is that we have made a lot of important contacts in Sacramento and have educated a lot of people about Naturopathic Medicine. In addition to our many meetings, every legislator received at least one letter and newsletter from us, on top of the hundreds of handwritten and “Capwiz” letters that went out from our patients and friends. And, perhaps most importantly, we have created a close relationship with the DCA, such that they now have a much better understanding of Naturopathic Medicine and our need to be licensed. When the proposals do come round again, we expect to be part of the conversation and not end up in such a difficult position.

Our plans for the immediate future are as follows:

1. To explore all theoretical options to forestall any surprises
2. Prepare for the Sunset review process for the Naturopathic Doctors Act
3. Continue our conversations with the Governor’s office about health care reform
4. Keep close contact with the DCA, the Business and Profession Committee, and key legislators
5. Increase public awareness of Naturopathic Doctors in California

What can you do now?

• Renew your membership: Some members have still not renewed – please do so as soon as possible. This has been an expensive process and we need your membership dollars. Furthermore, since the CNDA speaks as the voice of the Naturopathic profession in California, we need to show that we are a strong, unified organization that represents the majority of NDs licensed in the State.
• Attend Merging Medicine 6: This conference promises an excellent roster of speakers and is another great way to show your support for the CNDA. See info below.
• Lobby for the profession: If you have not met your legislators yet, please plan on it. We need to continue to get the word out and educate decision makers about Naturopathic Medicine. This will help when we need to call on them for support in the future. Contact me to help coordinate a meeting, possibily with other NDs in the same district, and for a list of talking points.
• Donate:  As stated earlier, this has been an expensive process and we need to continue to raise money above and beyond our regular revenue. Our lobbying costs have increased significantly and we need to keep our representation in this volatile environment. Also of great importance is the need to create a major public awareness campaign. This will be beneficial to your practice and our ability to gather support from the public and decision makers.  Some patients, aware of the dangers of our situation, gave very generous donations.  If you have patients who are in a position to financially support naturopathic medicine, please make them aware of our need!