Every time I run into this, I think of the Canadian Health Care system, and certain of its critics.

"Never," said Kareen with passion, "ever suggest they don’t have to pay you. What they pay for, they’ll value. What they get for free, they’ll take for granted, and then demand as a right."
– A Civil Campaign Lois McMaster Bujold

I suspect that is one reason that alternative medicine has so many adherents. It is a well-known psychological wrinkle that, if we make a public declaration for something – like signing a petition – or commit resources to it – like money – we are then biased towards it. People have to pay for alternative medicine; therefore they must believe it works. (The same mechanism, admittedly, will bias me in favour of mainsteam medicine).