Looking Back at 2020 and
NHFA’s Vision for Health Freedom in 2021
Despite a rollercoaster year in 2020 that jeopardized many health freedoms for Americans, National Health Freedom Action focused on work to maintain and reclaim our individual rights. NHFA accomplished much during this impactful year.
Throughout 2020 we walked side by side weekly with Wisconsin and Massachusetts health freedom leaders, offering our guidance in their efforts to pass Safe Harbor Practitioner Exemption Legislation, protecting the right of homeopaths, herbalists, traditional naturopaths and many complementary and alternative health care practitioners to practice and be available to consumers. Both states made it almost to the finish line, and then found out at the end of 2020 that they will need to start all over in 2021 due to the pandemic legislative calendars. We are so grateful for their work and will continue our work with them and support their efforts to eventual success.
The outcry of resistance to the coercive countermeasures impacting our freedoms and concern about vaccine mandates moved us to collaborate with California Health Coalition Advocacy to help spearhead the Right to Refuse Legislation Movement. Our national model language for Right to Refuse, protecting the right of each individual to make their own health care decisions, was shared nation-wide. NHFA met with leaders from eight launching states to organize and discuss going forward in each state to protect these fundamental rights.
NHFA sent out many Action Alerts on Health Freedom Issues which made it possible for individuals to take action easily and let their own legislators know their concerns or support for bills going forward. You can find these alerts on our NHFA website. Here are three 2020 examples:
An opposition alert on a Dietitian licensing bill, Pennsylvania House Bill 1802, which would have had a negative impact on consumer access to the services and practitioners of their choice. This bill did not pass;
A supportive action alert for Florida House Bill 1193, the Governor’s Occupation Deregulation bill, which was passed into law. The new law will, among other things, provide an exemption for unlicensed complementary and alternative health care practitioners to the dietitian and nutrition licensing law for certain activities under certain circumstances;
And an alert to oppose Vermont SB 270, which sought to require mandatory licensure for massage therapists. The bill did not pass into law.
We are eternally grateful to everyone for giving us the opportunity to serve citizens in the health freedom movement and to protect our fundamental rights to be able to make decisions for ourselves and our families that protect and enhance our health.
NHFA’s 2021 VISION
2020 was a historic and profoundly challenging year for health freedom fundamental rights. Many freedoms that Americans took for granted were jeopardized in 2020, freedoms that impacted the right to make personal health care decisions. For example: employers attempted to coerce employees into getting flu vaccines or other health treatments, Governors wrote orders to tell persons that they had to stay six feet away from others, and that they could not go into public places without a mask. Travel restrictions were put in place mandating that healthy people quarantine themselves. Businesses were ordered to close.
2021 promises to be a year of change and new beginnings. Americans are waking up to the fact that their health freedoms are essential and in grave need of protection.
NHFA plans to be a key player in guiding groups that are working to pass Right to Refuse/Right to Choose legislation, protecting the fundamental right of all people to make their own health care decisions and to prohibit governments and corporations from prohibiting employment, travel, education and much more, and from coercing Americans into health care decisions that they might otherwise decline.
In addition, we plan to continue vigorously supporting and helping to guide groups in many states to pass Safe Harbor Practitioner Exemption laws, that will protect the right of homeopaths, herbalists, traditional naturopaths and all complementary and alternative health care practitioners to practice and have their services be available to all Americans. Even now we have new states coming forward to begin the work, including Oregon, Utah, Iowa and Florida.
And as always, we will keep abreast of key health freedom issues and when opportunities arise, we will draft and provide Action Alerts so that individuals can write to their legislators about their concerns and ensure that their health freedoms are protected.
2021 will be a year of great change and awakening of true health freedom. We pledge to continue our advocacy for your rights to your own choices about your health journey and that of all people.
