Versicherungsmedizin. 1995 Dec; 47(6): 224-31.

[Alternative medicine in private personal insurance]

Ostendorf GM.

R + V Lebensversicherung AG, Wiesbaden.

In Germany there is a trend to so-called "natural" or "alternative" medical methods especially among young people of good education and higher income. Those persons are also the typical target group of the private person insurance so that it seems necessary to deal with such methods. While the original "classical" methods of naturopathy have been acknowledged in the scientific medicine for many years and are mainly used in the medical rehabilitation, the so-called "alternative" methods are further on controversial. In the first place, the risks of such unconventional methods are to be monitored, especially the danger of a wrong diagnosis in using unproved diagnostical methods and the danger of side-effects in therapy. Another problematical fact is that during an unconventional treatment the diagnosis of an intoxication by outdoor or indoor pollution or by amalgam of toothfillings is often made without standing a critical proof. Usually, an expensive therapy will follow with no end in sight. Furthermore, the diagnosis of a so-called intoxication of psychical disordered patients, especially those with a masked depression, can prevent a necessary medical or psychotherapeutic treatment. Disorders will be felt more and more as somatic and get a chronical course so that they are finally resistant to therapy.