Health Care Reform – A Band Aid on a Gaping Wound
Citizens and politicians are in a frenzy this week screaming at each other over how to fund a national health care program, and debating whether or not we even need one. In my humble opinion, we are frankly focusing on the symptoms and ignoring the disease. Health care costs are out of control primarily because Americans generally have horrific dietary habits and consistently abuse their bodies with nicotine, alcohol and drugs; then we wonder why our health deteriorates and we get sick all the time?
Until our Government and our culture recognizes and rewards Americans for adopting a more pre-emptive and preventative strategy for wellness, no amount of Federal aid or oversight will cure our ills. So why is this important to those of us involved in complimentary and alternative medicine? Because we need to be and must be part of the solution.
NCCAM reports that in 2007, 83 million U.S. adults spent $33.9 billion (out of pocket) on complimentary and alternative medicine, with 22 billion of that total being spent on self-care. That is equivalent to one third of total spending on prescription drugs. Further proof that many people are actively engaged in their own health and want to have more control over and responsibility for their own wellness.
So maybe politicians should stop scrutinizing and tearing down the self care industries and start looking for ways to cooperatively address the long term health issues such as poor nutrition, substance abuse and obesity that plague this nation.
