Bill > HB1527

This bill, the Complementary and Alternative Health Care Practice Act, authorizes individuals to practice complementary or alternative health care in Maryland without needing a license or certification from specific state health occupations boards, provided they adhere to certain requirements and limitations. Complementary or alternative health care is broadly defined to include a wide range of practices such as acupressure, aromatherapy, Ayurveda, bodywork, meditation, and various traditional healing methods. However, practitioners are prohibited from misrepresenting themselves as licensed health care practitioners, advising patients to discontinue prescribed medical treatment, performing surgery, using X-rays, setting fractures, prescribing or dispensing prescription drugs, or manipulating the spine or other joints. They must also provide clients with a written notice detailing their qualifications and services, obtain a signed acknowledgment from the client that this notice was received, retain this acknowledgment for at least two years, and provide the client with a copy. Importantly, this act does not waive or limit any existing legal claims a person might have against a complementary or alternative health care practitioner.