Before I even start, let me preface this by saying that I'm in no way an expert on this issue. But, I do have over a decade of experience in healthcare and third parties claims. I've been asked a lot lately where I stand on the issue of healthcare reform and the Obamacare legislation- sometimes because of my experience and others for idle chit-chat. I thought I'd organize my thoughts and what resulted was this blog. Personally I think this is a move in the right direction- not necessarily the perfect solution, but you won't hear me complaining. Let me explain...
I have a friend who has diabetes. Not type 2 diabetes which
is the result of poor lifestyle and too much sugar. She was diagnosed with Type
1 Diabetes (Juvenile Onset) when she was a teenager. Her pancreas one day just
decided to stop producing insulin (I'll spare you the patho-physiological explanation of auto-immune disease.) As a result, she’s had to use insulin
injections multiple times a day along with a pump and check her blood sugar levels using a
glucose monitor throughout the day.
No amount of fruits, veggies, supplements with chromium or
cinnamon or any other lifestyle changes will make her pancreas start to produce
insulin. No matter how “clean” her diet is, she needs insulin injections and
constant monitoring to catch any possible complications early. She’s only 33,
and with proper care, she’ll have a long life ahead to deal with this. (Fun fact, Halle Berry has Type 1 Diabetes)
She holds a professional degree and has been gainfully
employed since she graduated college. However, in this unsettling economy, is
now faced with a very real possibility of being laid off.
So what happens if she loses her job, and her health
benefits? I’ve never asked, but suspect the endocrinologist she sees regularly
is quite expensive. She has an insulin pump that needs monitoring and a
constant supply of insulin. And those test strips she uses to test her blood
sugar cost $100-$150 a month alone. And what if she develops a complication from her disease?
My colleagues argue that Obamacare isn’t solving America’s
health crisis and that they disagree with paying more taxes into a corrupt
system. And although I see their point, and don’t completely disagree, I want
to remind them, we must walk before we run. Even if our system was perfect,
embraced holistic medicine and preventative care, we’d still be in need of
allopathic medicine. There will always be a need for emergent care, surgical
care and congenital conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes. In fact, I'd even go as far as to say, if it wasn't for the research conducted from allopathic medicine, we wouldn't know as much as we do about alternative care.
Besides, just because
we have our own beliefs about holistic medicine and its impact, we cannot shun
and isolate those who are still in need or or prefer traditional care.
Our current system is no doubt corrupt- but it’s not like
the government mucky-mucks were sitting around DC last week and saying, “Hey guys, so do we
pass Obamacare, or do we stop supporting the BigPharma agenda/Corporate insurance and start pushing
more holistic preventative care?” That
was never the debate, so look at the big picture.
If this means someone gets diagnosed with high cholesterol,
metabolic syndrome or thyroid disease sooner because they can afford doctor
visits and bloodwork, then I call that a win. It gives us our chance, as holistic providers, to step in
and educate them and their primary care providers on their options sooner.
People who wouldn't have gone for a check-up otherwise, can catch disease progression before they’re so sick they can’t work and become disabled (and are now a real
burden on the system, or so I hear.)
The system is broken, no doubt. But fixing it isn’t going to
be easy and it’s certainly not going to be free. So to those complaining about
taxes- our taxes currently fund Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. When
folks that don’t have any coverage can’t afford to pay their bills, the effect is
reflected on the (even more) inflated cost of drugs, hospital visits and procedures. Just like prices in retail stores are inflated to account for shoplifting. That’s simply
how our capitalist system works. To be involved in the solution, we have to
change our attitude.
For those fear mongers and those they are trying to scare, I offer
this quote:
“Fear is the belief that something bad will happen, while
faith is a belief that something good will happen.” ~ Anodea Judith.
I’m going to have to choose faith over fear. Not in the government,
but in the shift in people’s ultimate attitudes towards their health, educating
themselves and respecting their bodies.
