The Access to Medical Treatment Act

©Copyright 1996 by Berkley Bedell
(Explore Issue: Volume 7, Number 2)

One never knows what personal experiences will occur to change the direction of one's life.

I was very disappointed when Lyme disease made it necessary for me to retire from the United States Congress. And I was devastated when shortly after that I was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

In both cases I went the route of conventional medicine without apparent success. A series of strange coincidences caused me to then turn to alternative treatments for both diseases, and I no longer suffer from either.

The treatment for my Lyme disease was a special whey from cow's milk, and the cancer treatment which I administered to myself was an injection into my lymph glands of a product called 714-X developed by a Canadian microbiologist, Gaston Naessens.

Working with my friend, Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, I had a significant role in the establishment of the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. I serve on the Advisory Committee to that Office. I have been disappointed in the reluctance of the NIH to investigate alternative treatments, but I believe the establishment of the Office has given a great boost to alternative medicine. The fact that the federal government has recognized the importance of alternative medicine by establishing an Office of Alternative Medicine has helped to increase the awareness of and the legitimacy of alternative or complementary medicine in our society.

There are those who would like to portray practitioners of alternative medicine as just a bunch of quacks. I have found just the opposite. I have found most of them to be highly motivated, capable scientists and practitioners who have developed science and treatments that hold great promise. But they are threatened at every turn.

The major problem is that it costs millions and millions of dollars to go through the Food and drug Administration procedure in order to get approval to distribute a medicine. I argue that this tremendous cost prevents any non-patentable medicine from getting into the system. Most of the developers of promising treatments I have found would not have the finances to go through this process if it were to cost 1% of current costs.

Working with another friend of mine Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota, we have drafted and he has introduced The Access to Medical Treatment Act. The bill provides that every person will have the right to be treated by whatever treatment that person desires providing the following provisions are met:

1. The treatment is administered by a properly licensed practitioner who has examined the patient.
2. There is no evidence to indicate that the treatment would be of danger to the patient.
3. The patient has been completely informed of the contents of the treatment and any possible side effects, including in writing the following: "Warning: This food, drug or device has not been declared safe and effective by the Federal Government and any individual who uses such food, drug or device does so at his or her own risk."
4. There have been no advertising claims made for the treatment.
5. The patient signs a statement that they have been informed about all the above, and still wish to be treated.

In the Senate the bill was introduced by Senator Daschle, the minority leader, and co-sponsors include Senator Dole, the majority leader, and Republican candidate for President, as well as 11 other Senators, both Republican and Democrat. Senator Harkin a Democrat, and Senator Hatch a Republican, who are both leaders in this area are both among the co-sponsors.

In the House, the bill has been introduced by Congressman DeFazio of Oregon with 36 co-sponsors, including some of the Republican leadership of the House.

One would think with such an impressive list of co-sponsors the bill would be sure to pass. I am sorry to report that due to the current situation in Congress, such is not the case. Because of the heavy backlog in Congress, and the coming election, it is not going to be easy to get this bill passed unless the message comes through from the people that they want it.

If you believe that properly informed people should have the right to choose their medical treatment, as they are permitted to do in almost every other area of our society, rather than having a government agency tell them what treatments they can have, and which ones they cannot have, I urge you to contact your Senators and ask them to co-sponsor the Access to Medical Treatment act, #S-1035 introduced by Senator Daschle. And contact your Congressperson and ask him or her to co-sponsor the Access to Medical Treatment Act, HR-2019 introduced by Congressman DeFazio. Ask them to reply as whether they have co-sponsored the Act.

Surely it is worth the time to write such a letter. It might save your life-and the bill is not likely to be considered unless you do.

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