Virginians For Health Freedom
We welcome you
...to a natural path to wellness and the rights that protect you.
Who We Are
Our Roots
Mission:
Virginians for Health Freedom (Va4HF) is a non-profit, membership based organization that is established to oversee legislation that may adversely impact unlicensed natural health lay-persons in Virginia. Va4HF serves members through legislative monitoring, advocacy and education to improve Virginia's health care laws and promote the rights of individuals affected by those laws.
Goal:
Va4HF will seek to increase public awareness, understanding of natural health services and/or programs available and connect you to the resources. These programs and resources will be available to any persons via in-person classes and/or online sessions.
What's happening
Now is the time to prepare!
Be Prepared! It’s a new year for the Virginia General Assembly. The session begins on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. We continue to monitor bills introduced that conflict with our mission. Now is the time to get ready for the 2024 session. With the recent elections, many of us will have new representatives in the upcoming session. We need to know who our Delegates and Senators are. You can confirm yours by clicking on the website, https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/ Enter your street address and your delegates will appear. Bear in mind, these are your current representatives and they may change as newly elected representatives take office in January. Make sure you have their contact information, phone number and email in case we need to respond quickly. You may also contact them in advance and ask each one how they feel about your Natural Health Freedom to choose. Let them know where you stand. Please make sure your membership and your contact information is up to date. There is power in numbers. Thanks for your continuing support.
HB1489 (Withdrawn)
This session, Delegate Glenn Davis introduced HB1489, a bill to license Naturopathic doctors in Virginia. A similar bill was defeated two years ago in both the House and the Senate. It has been studied three separate times in the last 15-16 years and each study recommended against licensure. A main difference in this bill and the one that was defeated two years ago is that language that was included two years ago to protect unlicensed Virginians from discussing and using natural health was omitted in this version. It states that it is illegal to practice naturopathic medicine without a license and then includes a very broad definition of the ‘practice of naturopathic medicine’ which includes “promotion or restoration of health” and “support and stimulation of a patient's inherent self-healing process’. This would severely limit what an individual can say or even talk about. It is interesting that the things that this bill would prevent unlicensed Virginians from doing or saying are the same things that individuals have done for decades. Another point is that while the full Board of Health Professions voted against licensure, the committee conducting the study had made it clear in the hearing that unlicensed practitioners should keep their jobs. Our focus at VA4HF is protecting the rights of Virginians to seek health advice from whoever they choose and the right of Virginians to provide advice and consultation on the use of natural health products. Any licensure bill needs to include these priorities.
Legislation Update
Local Empowerment
Seminars/Workshops
Va4HF offers Natural Health classes for personal growth and professional advancement. Seminars and Workshops are open to anyone (unless specified) regardless of previous education experience. Classes are designed to challenge and enhance the education of both seasoned practitioners as well as newcomers. Va4HF Active Members will be given first preference.