I support the premise of Dr. McClellan’s argument that healthcare costs decrease when consumers are given options in directing their own care. Dr. McClellan did not mention that consumers can’t easily choose options to quality care at lower costs until all qualified healthcare practitioners have the same tools to bill for care as conventional doctors.

ABC codes reinforce consumer choice by providing the tools to process reimbursement claims when consumers go directly to qualified practitioners who are not physicians. There are over 2.7 million nurses and thousands of acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists, behavioral health practitioners, midwives and many others whose care is not being maximized because they don’t have codes to file claims to insurers.

Dr. McClellan stated that personal control of healthcare results in lower costs, increased quality, satisfaction and outcomes. ABC codes are a tool that must be included in national healthcare policy to optimize the positive results that occur when people are given full control of their healthcare choices.