The excellence of modern medicine is beyond question. Think of the complex and amazing technology and the cutting-edge medical research. Think of all we are learning about the brain, about the nervous system, and about how the systems of the body interact. Consider the advances we have made in organ transplants. Note that more and more sophisticated and powerful drugs are being created. Then add to this the pioneering research in genetics and the possible consequences for fighting chronic diseases.
The astonishing thing is that while all this has been happening, a parallel set of approaches has been developing called complementary medicine, which encompasses practices and treatments outside this world of technology, research, and pharmacology. Some of these are rooted in approaches that are thousands of years old, based on the idea of treating the body as a whole, that there are deep interconnections, that natural processes and substances can have value and potency.
Some in the medical establishment see modern medicine and complementary medicine as separate and in conflict. But more and more physicians and medical researchers are seeing their value. Many major hospitals, medical centers, and physicians’ practices include complementary medicine in the services they offer. For instance, the Mayo Clinic offers acupuncture, chiropractic, hypnosis, massage therapy, meditation, and stress management.
This issue of
Well Now is dedicated to complementary medicine and in particular, to the practice of acupuncture. The essay, “Ancient practice and contemporary medicine: the modern use of acupuncture” will give you an overview, while the article, “Benefits of acupuncture” offers a view of how it can be helpful.
Further, Brethren Insurance Services, which has been committed to expanding healthcare choices within the Brethren Medical Plan to include alternative medicine, added coverage for acupuncture on January 1.
Also, it happens that one of our most loyal readers, Emily Mumma, a retired Church of the Brethren pastor and former moderator, is a great believer in acupuncture. So, we are including a profile of Emily and her thoughts on the benefits of acupuncture.
We would also like mention that coming soon, Brethren Medical Plan members will be able to sign up for free identity theft protection and free credit monitoring. Watch for more information about this in a future issue of
Well Now.
May this mid-winter issue of
Well Now find you in good health and may the ideas and insights it offers contribute to your efforts to enhance your health and well-being.
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Brethren Medical Plan now covers acupuncture
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Brethren Insurance Services is delighted to announce that as of Jan. 1, acupuncture is being offered as a benefit to the members of the Brethren Medical Plan.
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Ancient practice and contemporary medicine
The modern use of acupuncture
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To many of us it still seems strange to treat a medical condition by sticking needles into the skin — in spite of the fact that acupuncture has been practiced in the U.S. for several decades. This practice, taken from millennia-old traditional Chinese medicine, has been gaining acceptance. By 2017, more than 14 million people used acupuncture, according to the National Institutes of Health. This was up from 8 million in 2012.
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Former moderator believes in acupuncture
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You may know Emily Mumma as a retired Church of the Brethren pastor and a former Annual Conference Moderator, but you probably don’t know the she is an enthusiastic proponent of acupuncture.
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The following list of diseases and conditions that may be helped by acupuncture has been gathered and combined from the websites of the Mayo Clinic, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Cleveland Clinic, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). In some of these instances, research has confirmed the benefits of acupuncture. In other cases ...
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The history of acupuncture
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For your long-term care needs
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Brethren Insurance Services offers Long-Term Care Insurance all through the year.
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If you're interested in purchasing coverage, you should know that eligibility for benefits is determined by the inability to meet at least two of these six activities of daily living
—
bathing, eating, dressing, toileting, continence, or transferring. Cognitive impairment can also trigger benefits.
It's difficult to think about the fact that a debilitating condition or a disabling injury might leave you unable to care for yourself, or that when you reach your twilight years, the time will come when you will need some extra care. Long-term care insurance makes sure that you will get the care you need. It helps assure that the cost of your custodial care will not eat up your savings. Finally, and this is one of the best things about LTCI, it can help protect your children and other relatives from having to use their resources to care for you.
Brethren Insurance Services offers Long-Term Care Insurance for all members and employees of the Church of the Brethren and their family and friends; and also for employees of Church of the Brethren-affiliated agencies, organizations, colleges, and retirement communities and their families and friends.
If you are interested in obtaining this coverage, contact Brethren Insurance Services at
insurance@cobbt.org
or 800-746-1505 for a free, no-obligation proposal.
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Church of the Brethren Insurance Services provides the following products - dental, vision, basic life and accidental death & dismemberment, supplemental life and AD&D, dependent life and AD&D, long-term disability, short-term disability, accident insurance, and Medicare supplement for eligible Church of the Brethren employees.
Dental, vision, and Medicare supplement coverage may also be available for eligible retired Church of the Brethren employees.
For eligibility information, call Connie Sandman at 800-746-1505, ext. 3366, or contact your human resources representative.
Medical and ancillary plans (named above) may be available to Brethren-affiliated employer groups.
Long-Term Care Insurance is available for all members of the Church of the Brethren, their family and friends, and employees of Church of the Brethren-affiliated agencies, organizations, colleges, and retirement communities.
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A not-for-profit ministry of
Church of the Brethren Benefit Trust Inc.
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Contact Us
1505 Dundee Ave
Elgin, IL 60120
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