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he ideology behind consumer-driven health care is the belief that Americans over-consume health care. Labeling this a “moral hazard” problem, proponents push for high-deductible health plans that make consumers spend out-of-pocket for the first dollar of coverage up to the plan deductible. Mod cut: copyright violation.[/b]
Thinking aloud, I do wonder if chronic conditions aren't a symptom of an underlying imbalance in the body (or mind). The body's normal state of being is to be healthy. Chronic conditions can be alleviated, and sometimes cured, by discovering the underlying cause..and not merely treating the surface symptoms.
An example? Osteoarthritis is an inflammation, right? Well, what's causing the inflammation? Is it nutritional, allergies, food additives, deficiency of a nutrient, an overabundance of a nutrient, temperature too hot, too cold, too dry, lack of movement...or?
My osteoarthritis is held at bay with nutritional supplements of anti-inflammatory natural supplements, yoga, and range of motion exercises using weight machines. If I cease these, I get flare-ups. Made a believer out of me.
Just my opinion, but I suspect many of our 'chronic' conditions could be mitigated using what are termed 'alternative' treatments by our established Western medical community. Our Western doctors receive precious little instruction on diet and nutrition.
And no matter that these alternatives have been used in other countries/other cultures for far longer (and with effectiveness) than our Western form of medical practices.
Let's not forget that so many of our Western prescription drugs are derived from natural herbs and flowers, such as aspirin (Willow tree bark) and digitalis (Foxglove plant). Numerous antibiotics come from mushrooms and fungi.
I mostly agree with LittleDolphin. More people could be more proactive about remaining healthy.
However, I have a chronic condition that can't be taken care of with alternatives alone. Supplements and breathing exercises help but there really isn't a cure, per se.
I find it a joke when people argue that those with existing medical conditions ought to pay a lot more for health insurance. That is what the insurance is for, to cover medical expenses. Actuary tables are a science and insurance companies know what percentage of their insured are going to have any given condition.
That being said, the problem comes when healthy people refuse to get coverage until they need it. If everyone was in the insurance pool then the insurance companies would have no cause to complain about having to pay for chronic conditions because, as I stated above, they know what their costs are going to be for the pool as a whole.
The other problem comes with compelling people to purchase health insurance. I suppose states can do it individually but I have yet to see any compelling argument that the Constitution allows the Federal Government to force citizens to buy health insurance.
I think I could solve 95% of the insurance problems with free market solutions. But I haven't come up with a good solution for the preexisting condition and mandatory coverage for all. High-deductible plans and health savings accounts are good ideas and would help a bit. If high-deductible plans were the only coverage available then healthier people would naturally pay less (adding up premiums costs plus actual expenses) for their health coverage each year.
Thinking aloud, I do wonder if chronic conditions aren't a symptom of an underlying imbalance in the body (or mind). The body's normal state of being is to be healthy. Chronic conditions can be alleviated, and sometimes cured, by discovering the underlying cause..and not merely treating the surface symptoms.
An example? Osteoarthritis is an inflammation, right? Well, what's causing the inflammation? Is it nutritional, allergies, food additives, deficiency of a nutrient, an overabundance of a nutrient, temperature too hot, too cold, too dry, lack of movement...or?
My osteoarthritis is held at bay with nutritional supplements of anti-inflammatory natural supplements, yoga, and range of motion exercises using weight machines. If I cease these, I get flare-ups. Made a believer out of me.
Just my opinion, but I suspect many of our 'chronic' conditions could be mitigated using what are termed 'alternative' treatments by our established Western medical community. Our Western doctors receive precious little instruction on diet and nutrition.
And no matter that these alternatives have been used in other countries/other cultures for far longer (and with effectiveness) than our Western form of medical practices.
Let's not forget that so many of our Western prescription drugs are derived from natural herbs and flowers, such as aspirin (Willow tree bark) and digitalis (Foxglove plant). Numerous antibiotics come from mushrooms and fungi.
I hate saying "alternative."
It's more like the techniques that are more often used today are conventional.
I do agree doctors get very little training on nutrition and diet.
I think if they had to be tested on it, more medical schools would teach it.
A lot of times doctors (or rather primary care physicians) don't have the time to try to ask patients about their diet or their exercise regimen (if their patient has one at all).
Last week I went to my doctor about my shoulder pain, stiff neck, and my chronic headaches and basically all I got was prescriptions. Sure the prescriptions help but I want to PREVENT the headaches or at least get them down to a reasonable level. I have headaches just about every day. It's rare I go a week without having a headache or migraine every day.
I wouldn't mind insurance companies hiring nurses, nurse practitioners, or doctors to manage their policyholders with chronic diseases. It seems it would be cheaper.
Their policyholders could meet with those doctors, nurse practitioners, or nurses that specialize in chronic diseases. Those doctors, nurses, and/or nurse practitioners would be under salary, that way they aren't being paid for each and every visit. They would receive bonuses if they keep their patients healthy and can get the chronic diseases managed better.
I mostly agree with LittleDolphin. More people could be more proactive about remaining healthy.
However, I have a chronic condition that can't be taken care of with alternatives alone. Supplements and breathing exercises help but there really isn't a cure, per se.
I find it a joke when people argue that those with existing medical conditions ought to pay a lot more for health insurance. That is what the insurance is for, to cover medical expenses. Actuary tables are a science and insurance companies know what percentage of their insured are going to have any given condition.
That being said, the problem comes when healthy people refuse to get coverage until they need it. If everyone was in the insurance pool then the insurance companies would have no cause to complain about having to pay for chronic conditions because, as I stated above, they know what their costs are going to be for the pool as a whole.
The other problem comes with compelling people to purchase health insurance. I suppose states can do it individually but I have yet to see any compelling argument that the Constitution allows the Federal Government to force citizens to buy health insurance.
I think I could solve 95% of the insurance problems with free market solutions. But I haven't come up with a good solution for the preexisting condition and mandatory coverage for all. High-deductible plans and health savings accounts are good ideas and would help a bit. If high-deductible plans were the only coverage available then healthier people would naturally pay less (adding up premiums costs plus actual expenses) for their health coverage each year.
No, I just disagree with the first third of the editorial. I have 19 employees and we pay 80% of the premium for the HSA-compatible plan. If employees want to upgrade to a PPO plan then they pay the difference in the premium. Contrary to what the article asserts, the high-deductible plan does keep employer costs down. I have seen that personally. This isn't the political forum so I will just say that the writer and I have different philosophies about the role of government and the ability of individuals to make decisions for themselves. (Remember, the reason that health insurance is tied to our jobs is because of government wage controls during WWII. That tie is the source of many of the problems with our current system.)
I agree with much of the middle third of the article, however, about increasing the pool size and the problem with preexisting conditions.
The last third of the article is a push for socialized medicine. It is just such a bad idea on so many levels. Costs will go up, taxes will go up, wait times will increase. Just look at how you can get an MRI for your pet in Canada the same day but might wait weeks or months for yourself. I will leave it at that for the health and wellness forum.
No, I just disagree with the first third of the editorial. I have 19 employees and we pay 80% of the premium for the HSA-compatible plan. If employees want to upgrade to a PPO plan then they pay the difference in the premium. Contrary to what the article asserts, the high-deductible plan does keep employer costs down. I have seen that personally. This isn't the political forum so I will just say that the writer and I have different philosophies about the role of government and the ability of individuals to make decisions for themselves. (Remember, the reason that health insurance is tied to our jobs is because of government wage controls during WWII. That tie is the source of many of the problems with our current system.)
I agree with much of the middle third of the article, however, about increasing the pool size and the problem with preexisting conditions.
The last third of the article is a push for socialized medicine. It is just such a bad idea on so many levels. Costs will go up, taxes will go up, wait times will increase. Just look at how you can get an MRI for your pet in Canada the same day but might wait weeks or months for yourself. I will leave it at that for the health and wellness forum.
I don't disagree that high deductible plans save the employer money.
I know those with higher deductible plans tend to put off preventive care and they are less likely to go to the doctor (especially when they need to).
Of course not everyone with a high deductible plan avoids the doctor when they need it but we can't deny that it does happen if there is a financial barrier.
I personally wouldn't mind having a high-deductible plan if my employer was covering the premium (or the majority of the premium) for me. On my own though....nah. I'd rather have the security of a PPO and a deductible of around $1,000. The highest deductible I'd ever want is $2,5000-3,0000.
I don't disagree that high deductible plans save the employer money.
I know those with higher deductible plans tend to put off preventive care and they are less likely to go to the doctor (especially when they need to).
Of course not everyone with a high deductible plan avoids the doctor when they need it but we can't deny that it does happen if there is a financial barrier.
I personally wouldn't mind having a high-deductible plan if my employer was covering the premium (or the majority of the premium) for me. On my own though....nah. I'd rather have the security of a PPO and a deductible of around $1,000. The highest deductible I'd ever want is $2,5000-3,0000.
I pretty much agree with you on this. The important thing with the HSA plans is to get a cushion in the bank so that the cost of going to the doctor is not a big deterrent to going in when needed. The employees that contribute to the HSA like them. The ones that don't have the means or discipline to make regular contributions tend to sign up for the PPO plan.
I pretty much agree with you on this. The important thing with the HSA plans is to get a cushion in the bank so that the cost of going to the doctor is not a big deterrent to going in when needed. The employees that contribute to the HSA like them. The ones that don't have the means or discipline to make regular contributions tend to sign up for the PPO plan.
In a perfect world, we'd have high deductible plans and would pay for regular doctor visits out of pocket.
However, I can't even get a price quote for a doctor's visit. The first thing they ask is who my insurer is. It would be nice if more places were upfront with their prices so people can plan accordingly.
It's the same with physical therapy. My doctor said I needed it and I tried to see if I could set up payment plans...long story shirt, they weren't trying to hear that.
There is an "Urgent Care" not far from my house that displays their prices. I just worry about the quality of care I'd get there. I went there for a drug test and it didn't seem like the kind of place I'd go to if I were having a heart attack or something.
What do you feel is the best way to treat chronic conditions?
I have recently been doing tons of research on health and wellness and I really believe that there is no such thing as a chronic condition. If you seek to find the root cause of the problem and work to correct the matter, than all conditions should, in theory, be cleared up in a matter of time.
There is even talk out there that things like Diabetes and other diseases and conditions that were once taken for granted as being life-long and incurable, are in fact just symptoms of underlying problems which CAN BE CORRECTED. I am not certain if this is true or not (although I have seen some remarkable footage and read some amazing personal accounts that back the theory up).
The first thing I would do would be to consult a very reputable holistic practitioner or nuturopathic doctor. Finding out what is causing the problem is the most important thing. Medical doctors only MANAGE conditions with tons of chemicals and pills and often cause more damage than they purport to "cure". I certainly would not go that route under any circumstances.
20yrsinBranson
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