ABOUT NHFA
THE VISION
A healthy nation, with empowered people, making informed health care decisions.
THE MISSION
NHFA is Concerned Because:
There is a tremendous variety of healing arts practitioners, treatments, and therapies, that remain unavailable, and even unknown to many health seekers, because restrictive health practice laws prohibit many practitioners and therapies. A wide range of practitioners could be prosecuted for offering their services in many states, including practitioners of manual therapies, nutrition and lifestyle changes, mind/body practices, energy therapies, homeopathy, herbalism, traditional naturopathy, and traditional cultural healing methods.
There is an absence of adequate laws that require food producers and manufacturers to refrain from the use of toxic substances or genetic modifications, or from disclosing their potential harm, or even their existence in the product.
Organic food standards that help consumers avoid dangerous agricultural chemicals are being watered down;
The soil of the earth is being depleted by conventional toxic farming techniques;
There is an absence of laws that prohibit public institutions, such as schools, from utilizing dangerous chemicals, high frequency technology, or providing low-level nutrition lunches.
The dominance of conventional products and practitioner laws has evolved so much so that they impact basic rights to choose healthful environments and foods that promote life and healthful healing options.
There are laws that attempt to coerce parents into obtaining large numbers of vaccines for their children that contain toxic substances. In CA parents cannot send their healthy children to public or parochial day cares or schools if they don’t have their children receive government recommended vaccines, unless the child is considered to have a medical condition that would not allow them to have all of the vaccines;
Some Further Examples or Need for Health Freedom Reform:
Some parents have lost custody of their children if they choose to get second opinions or decline chemotherapy or other unwanted treatments for their child;
Some adults have lost their jobs if they do not get the medical treatment their employer requires, such as flu shots.
In most states, large numbers of practitioners of the healing arts are legally vulnerable to criminal charges of practicing medicine without a license” because the definition of “practicing medicine” is very broad. In California, for example, the “practice of medicine” is defined as: “Any person who practices or attempts to practice, or who advertises or holds himself or herself out as practicing, any system or mode of treating the sick or afflicted in this state, or who diagnoses, treats, operates for, or prescribes for any ailment, blemish, deformity, disease, disfigurement, disorder, injury, or other physical or mental condition of any person…”. (CA Stat. Sec. 2052). Most states have similar definitions, with the result that many practitioners of the healing arts can be criminally prosecuted, even when no harm is done. NHFA has been instrumental in helping to pass safe harbor practitioner exemption laws in 10 states in the past 15 years.
In most states, physicians, nurses, dentists, psychologists, and other licensed health care providers who wish to use “alternative” healing methods are not free to do so. They may face discipline from their licensing boards, or even loss of their licenses, for practicing “outside of the prevailing standard of care” for their profession, even if the practitioner feels that their method is safer and more effective than what would be recommended by a conventional approach, and is in their patient’s, best interest.
The right of states to make laws demanding the labeling of GMO genetically modified foods has been taken away by a law within the federal government. This has been the federal government’s response to many states attempting to pass mandates for labeling GMOs.
Restrictive federal laws on many helpful drugs and devices impede the free flow of truthful information and access to products and healing methods. These restrictive laws apply even when there is no showing of harm to the public, and when statements made by practitioners and manufacturers are truthful.
NHFA is Working for You!
National Health Freedom Action is dedicated to helping create new laws and public policy. These new laws maintain consumer protection while opening up access to all of the healing arts. NHFA is working to enable citizen groups in every state to accomplish legislative reform. Excitement is spreading across America to finally make it possible for real health to be a priority. Citizen groups, with the help of NHFA, are already building strong, effective grass-roots movements and introducing proactive legislation. NHFA is providing training on how to develop a large database of interested citizens, fundraise, network, educate policy-makers, and finally have a major impact at the legislature that results in tremendous reform and increased health freedom.
NHFA legal and public policy staff work with state groups by providing consultations on health freedom legal issues and legal research. NHFA assists state leaders with drafting and lobbying new legislation unique to their states’ needs. NHFA encourages each group in finding attorneys and lobbyists from their own state who understand health freedom issues, and NHFA provides invaluable consultation to these individuals on the complex issues of increased access to the healing arts.
NHFA is delighted to assist state consumer groups in being empowered to become a strong and enduring voice at their own state legislatures on a variety of issues of health freedom.
On the Federal level, NHFA is committed to consumer access to not only practitioners, but to truthful information, products and devices that have been historically restricted. NHFA works with other health freedom groups nationally to achieve public policy change that will protect the individual’s right to choose whatever path they need to on their journey to heal themselves.
NHFA advocates for the entire spectrum of practitioners, providers, and resources. NHFA does not represent individual groups which might have competing interests which harm other groups. Rather, NHFA is promoting broad, inclusive reforms that will help all consumers have access to the broadest possible range of healing choices. NHFA is committed to peaceful, respectful, and effective methods of healing and restoring our health care system in America.
National Health Freedom Action is a grass-roots lobbying organization, working for health care freedom. NHFA is working together with its sister organization, National Health Freedom Coalition, an educational non-profit which provides information resources and policy analysis.
Health can be realized for America when laws are changed to allow for Americans to choose health on all levels, whether by access to practitioners, therapies and products, environments, foods, nutrients, or other choices that promote their health.
The Founders
NHFA Founders are Diane Miller, Leo Cashman, and Jerri Johnson.
For over two decades, NHFA’s Cofounder and Director of Law and Public Policy, Diane Miller, J.D., has worked to promote consumer options in health care. As co-counsel in State v. Saunders, Miller defended a farmer selling colostrum to persons that were sick. The case turned on whether an unlicensed practitioner could practice healing without a medical license. Charges were dismissed after two hung juries. An avid health freedom advocate and founding member of Minnesota health freedom organizations, Miller successfully helped draft and lobby to passage the groundbreaking Minnesota Complementary and Alternative Health Care Freedom of Access Act of 2000.
Cofounder and NHFA’s Treasurer Leo Cashman, an educator/activist/writer on health, nontoxic dentistry and health freedom issues, has dedicated his life to freedom issues. As a founding member of two Minnesota health freedom organizations, he worked to pass the Minnesota legislation for freedom of access to complementary and alternative health care. Cashman is currently Executive Director of national DAMS, Dental Amalgam Mercury Solutions, an organization in the forefront of nontoxic dentistry issues.
Cofounder Jerri Johnson, NHFA’s Public Relations Coordinator, homeopath, former registered nurse, and a health freedom lobbyist and activist, is a community organizer. As founding member of the Minnesota Natural Health Coalition and the Minnesota Natural Health – Legal Reform Project, Johnson helped to lobby and facilitate the passage of the Minnesota legislation. Jerri holds a strong interest in vaccine safety issues. She actively lobbied for legislation which assured that parents will be informed of their option to decide not to vaccinate their child, and that parents who decide to vaccinate their child will first receive information about potential side effects of the vaccine.
NHFA’s HOPE
NHFA’s hope is that the laws of this country will reflect the most important freedom of all, “health freedom”. Without health, people cannot attain the life they want. Our hope is that seekers of health freedom will have as many options as they need to attain health. NHFA offers a place to turn for people who realize that change is needed. They can benefit from NHFA’s guidance in being politically active in shaping the laws of our country, and NHFA’s educational and informational resources and guiding principles. Individuals now have a way to become educated, articulate, successful community leaders advocating for health freedom. They are becoming equipped to be vigilant and successful in protecting their right to have maximum health care options and choice.
On a daily basis, health freedom advocates are able to contact and speak with NHFA staff directly, or go to NHFA’s Web site for up-to-date information on state and national health freedom issues. They are able to access important documents and health freedom materials, tapes, and videos. NHFA has drafted Advocacy Resources and training materials on how to be successful in making change for health freedom. Staff is also available for technical or inspiration presentations to interested groups.
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National Health Freedom Action is committed to protecting the right of all citizens to choose what they deem important for their health and survival, and to assisting in the reforming of laws to ensure the broadest range of health options for the public. NHFA helps hold the vision of health freedom and encourages us to work together to keep the voice of health freedom alive in our country.
