In 1988, The Attorney General's office formed a Health Fraud Task Force to advise his office concerning several pieces of legislation that had been offered in the Kentucky Legislature. Proposals had been made to license naturopaths and acupuncturists and to establish a Board of Alternative Practitioners within the Board of Medical Licensure, and granting the new Board equal powers to the KBML. A number of the members of this task force were active lobbying against these measures, and ultimately the proposals were defeated.

Several of these task force members, in 1996, incorporated a division of the National Council Against Health Fraud in Kentucky, and this division became known as KCAHF. The national council, for a few years, was also known as the National Council for Reliable Health Information. The second name was later dropped, as it caused some confusion, although it accurately emphasized a major thrust of our organization.

Activities conducted by the KCAHF since its inception include the following:

a. Joining with the Federal Trade Commission in surfing the Internet for false or misleading advertising of products.

b. Encouraging health professionals to write their legislators concerning certain health issues being discussed in the General Assembly.

c. Presenting information on avoiding non-scientific and questionable therapies at health fairs and expositions.

d. Presenting lectures on health fraud and alternative medicine to various groups.

e. Identifying local fringe practitioners and disseminating information about their non-scientific practices.

f. Serving on legislative commissions when asked.

g. Writing articles for publications or giving interviews to reporters when asked.

h. Responding to letters from individuals and referring them to reliable health practitioners or to parties for redress.

i. Responding to published articles through letters to the editor column or to the writer personally.

j. Writing assessments of offered products that are questionable and potentially harmful.

k. Making referrals to the public concerning specific reliable web sites and literature.

l. Sending letters to local media in response to promotion by them of unreliable or questionable products or therapies.

m. Sending letters to program chair-persons when a program lists presentations on questionable products or services.

n. Writing to legislators concerning bills related to questionable health care practices.

o. Testifying before legislative committees concerning bills related to questionable health care practices.

It should be emphasized that the KCAHF is not a "medical doctor" organization, but includes members within the broad expanse of the health care professions who share a scientific bent and a skeptical view of "alternative medicine" .