Aug 16 2009
Why Healthcare Reform Will Inevitably Fail
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Are the new reforms on healthcare really reforming the way we respond to health and imbalance? Are these reforms truly making anyone healthier?
No one can deny that the healthcare issue is a serious debate, and yet what many are failing to mention is the fact that any form of healthcare reform is destined to fail, due to the inherent lack of focus on prevention and the root cause of disease. The current model in Washington takes a narrow approach, focusing mainly on one problem: the current cost and exclusivity of healthcare.
What is more, Obama’s health team is still jumping on the bandwagon of chemically-based drugs, as well as harmful antibiotics and vaccines, encouraging drug companies to reduce their prices so that more and more Americans can consume these drugs. These drugs are the cause of disease and only cover up the symptoms and never address the root cause!
Moreover, the current healthcare bill is painfully focused on appeasing the interests of the big business model of healthcare, including special interest groups and the very pharmaceutical companies that are doing more harm than good to the average American.
Some may even consider the fact that since the current chemical-based model of medicine does not treat the root-causes of disease (for example, improper digestion and elimination, leading to chronic toxicity), this so-called healthcare system is actually designed to keep people lined up at the doctor’s office.
Without a clear understanding of the root causes of disease, unfortunately, any new healthcare reform is missing the main point. On a whole, there are some 48 million Americans who lack healthcare coverage. Simply offering these individuals access to medical care is not enough. Oftentimes, the same individuals who lack decent healthcare coverage are the very individuals most prone to chronic, lifestyle-based disease issues.
Focusing on Healthcare Reform
When contemplating the current healthcare debate, one is left with a strange feeling that no one is actually concerned about helping people heal themselves from disease and imbalance.
The focus of governmental reform is, unfortunately, more of a battle related to profit models within the healthcare industry, and less about what healthcare should be doing for the collective well-being of the individual and planet.
Until we focus on the reasons why people are getting sick, and staying sick, in the first place, it seems true change will be a dismal future illusion, unless we continue to disapprove and voice our concerns for true healthcare reform.
The sad truth is that our government is not focused on teaching people how to change their lifestyles, because, quite frankly, the American healthcare system is not a healing model for vibrant health the natural way, but a disease management system, focused on the “lowest common denominator” of human well-being. Currently, the FDA is attempting more and more stringent controls on the natural products and organic foods industry, going so far as to censor important studies about these natural resources.
How Would I Reform Health Care Practically Overnight?
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Healthcare reform begins on the home front and by teaching people how to take care of themselves. It starts on our dinner tables, in the environments where we live, in the air we breathe and the water that we drink, and in the way we take care of our bodies and minds. If government representatives truly want to reform healthcare, they need to make a clear commitment to natural methodologies of both disease prevention, and disease treatment.
It should be of interest to law-makers that while the U.S. is equal to Cuba in life expectancy, Cuba spends only about $184 per capita annually on health care, whereas we spend more than $8,000 per person! Why? Because of our tendency towards chronic illnesses related to unnatural lifestyles, a sedentary society, stress, and social disempowerment in regard to taking care of one’s own health.
It is crucial that the new version of healthcare reform address the basic needs of educating people on the lifestyle choices they make each day starting from early childhood. This involves the intake of healthy, organic fruits and vegetables, drinking pure clean water, breathing non-polluted air, taking time to exercise regularly, cleansing the body regularly, getting enough rest, learning methods and techniques for stress reduction, as well as getting enough sleep each night.
Furthermore, many individuals are completely unaware of the herbal and natural options available for the prevention and treatment of many common ailments. What is more, these techniques actually enhance a person’s feeling of well-being and energy, whereas prescription drugs come with a long-list of potential side-effects and are expensive.
What the Government Should Focus On
The government needs to focus on a healthcare system that has positive returns on investment. This means that the more money we put in the system, the more people we should find leading happier, healthier lifestyles.
This can only come from a focus on community wellness education. This may come in the form of the promotion of natural remedies, as well as the creation of more sidewalks and bike paths, and banning disease causing agents as I stated above.
It may also mean empowering people to take charge of their own health. Within this light, we will be able to create a truly healthy population and planet, as well as reduce the financial burden that chronic collective disease creates.
Did You Know?
Lastly, I’ll leave you with a fact that blew me away.
Americans spend more than $100 billion dollars annually on angioplasty surgeries. Studies from the COURAGE trial showed that in patients with coronary disease, angioplasty did not prolong life, nor did it prevent heart attacks. Despite the fact that cardiac bypass surgery is effective in only a select number of patients, Americans have 448,000 of these surgeries each year, costing almost $100,000 each! That is $44,800,000,000 spent for no reason at all! Studies also show that 30% of all Medicare dollars are spent on treatments with no observable benefits.
Have a Happy and Healthy day, Dr. G
December 4th, 2009 at 1:49 am
The health care reform debate in the United States has reached a stage where legislation is now before the U.S. Congress. The main elements of the legislation focus on coverage, cost reduction and insurance reform. The U.S. has the highest healthcare costs relative to the size of the economy (GDP) in the world, with an estimated 30 million citizens (approximately 10% of the population) without insurance coverage. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the major bills under consideration would be deficit-neutral in the first decade after implementation and lower deficits thereafter, via both tax increases and reductions in future healthcare spending.
Various legislative proposals under serious consideration propose fining larger employers who do not provide a minimum standard of health care insurance and mandating that people buy health insurance. The legislation also taxes certain very high payout insurance policies (so-called “Cadillac policies”) to help finance subsidies for poorer citizens. Certain proposals include a choice of a not-for-profit insurer modeled on Medicare (sometimes called the “government option”). Democratic legislators have largely supported the proposed reform efforts, while Republicans have criticized the government option or expanded regulation of healthcare.
Both advocates and critics of reform have mobilized citizens to support their views, with particularly visible demonstrations occurring as congressional leaders returned to their
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November 17th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Ever since Obama first brought it up in his campaign, I started asking: How can our government reform something they can’t (or won’t) even define? It has been glaringly apparent to me that, in order to reform our health care system, we must first DEFINE health. Yet, because of corporate influences (the ONLY effective influences on legislation), “health” will never be honestly and accurately defined. To do so would cause Big Pharma, Big Agra, and the health insurance industries to scuttle like cockroaches into the nearest dark corners.
The current behavior of our legislators is beyond shameful as they sell out not only themselves but their loved ones and future generations for the here-and-now sparkling gold from corporate lobbyists.
Sadly, promoting healthier lifestyles does not produce financial profit for these industries. If it were otherwise, you can be sure that they would be sponsoring healthy lifestyle awareness.
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October 13th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
You totally nailed this article. I wish you were in charge of health care reform. We need to completely change the incentives in health care and steer the country more towards preventive medicine.
I’m trying to be more proactive by eating more fruits and vegetables. I’m also taking high quality nutritional supplements which have made a huge difference. They’ve decreased my sugar cravings and increased my energy. I also try to stick to a low glycemic diet which helps a lot too.
Thanks for the info and keep posting more!
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September 25th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Hi Dr G,
You hit the nail on the head once again. The public needs to break the chains of the sick care industry and stop being slaves to corporations…I was happy to see you address the news media and the negative and harmful effect it has on society as a whole.
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September 8th, 2009 at 8:33 am
Our great president Ronald Reagan passed away in 2004, but he said something that still resonates today.
Reagan said: “One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine. It’s very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project. Most people are a little reluctant to oppose anything that suggests medical care for people who possibly can’t afford it.”
This health care reform has nothing to do with health care!
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August 28th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Practical assertion prevails in the article and facts carry weight…………..
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August 27th, 2009 at 12:31 am
Dr. Group… can you please write something on storable food. I think we all need to start growing and storing food. But I would greatly appreciate a piece from you specifically on the subject of storing food and some companies you like or ideas you have for doing it. We’re in big trouble.. people are going to be starving to death soon.
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August 26th, 2009 at 1:50 am
Thank you for writing such a beautiful articles, keep it up
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