Tag: legislative alchemy

Supreme Court

Legislative alchemy and abortion: How the fall of Roe v. Wade will degrade science-based medicine

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday, eliminating the federal right to an abortion. What does that mean for science-based reproductive health and science-based medicine in general? Hint: It's not good, even for areas of medicine outside of reproductive health.

/ June 27, 2022

Gender-affirming care is not “experimental”

Gender-affirming care remains the evidence-based standard of care for gender dysphoria in transgender adolescents, despite claims by some laws and lawmakers that it is “experimental”.

, / June 25, 2022

Legislative Alchemy: Naturopathic licensing bill now before Wisconsin Senate Committee

Naturopaths are pushing for licensing in Wisconsin with a bill allowing them to practice as primary care doctors, prescribe drugs, and employ quack diagnostic testing and remedies. A powerful regulatory board controlled by naturopaths could expand their scope of practice at will.

/ October 21, 2021

Sen. Rubio’s proposed tax shelters for quackery

Sen. Marco Rubio has again introduced a bill that would subsidize quackery by providing a tax-sheltered way to pay for homeopathy, herbs, and other pseudoscience.

/ July 1, 2021

“Quack Protection Acts” proposed in state legislatures

Laws protecting "complementary and alternative" health care providers from state regulation have been proposed in several state legislatures under the rubric of "health freedom". These "Quack Protection Acts" harm consumers.

/ April 8, 2021

Legislative Alchemy: State licensing of “the profession of reflexology”

Following the playbook of other practitioners of pseudoscience, reflexologists aim to become state-licensed health care professionals, a status they've already achieved in four states. With bills pending in New York and Nebraska, they move closer to their goal of legitimizing their quackery in all 50 states.

/ March 25, 2021

Legislative Alchemy: Undaunted by rejection in 2020, naturopaths return to state legislatures seeking licensing and practice expansion

States largely rejected naturopathic licensing and practice expansion efforts in 2020. As ever, naturopaths are back again in 2021, imploring state legislators to legitimize them with licensing and greater scopes of practice, especially the authority to prescribe drugs.

/ February 11, 2021

Announcement: The Society for Science-Based Medicine is becoming part of the Center for Inquiry

The Society for Science-Based Medicine is no more. Long live the Society for Science-Based Medicine as part of the Center for Inquiry.

/ August 17, 2020

Legislative Alchemy 2019: Acupuncturists score Medicare coverage and scope of practice expansion 

Through the magic of legislative alchemy, acupuncture has already scored some big wins in 2020, including Medicare coverage.

/ February 13, 2020

Legislative Alchemy 2019: Chiropractors seek scope of practice expansion, including authority to prescribe drugs

In 2019, chiropractors continued their push for practice expansion, including prescription privileges, as well as co-opting the opioid crisis to mandate physician recommendations for "chiropractic care".

/ January 30, 2020