Alternative medicine, Health care, Questions & Answers

Alternative medicine, Health care

Questions And Answers... Using Alternative Medicine
Practitioners To Alleviate America's Health Care Crisis

Every adult American should be concerned about this gargantuan problem of inadequate and inappropriate health care services. Many of our nation’s local and federal lawmakers feel this is the most pressing problem on our plate today.

I feel strongly that the time has come for Americans to begin thinking seriously about using available and willing Alternative Medicine Practitioners to alleviate our current Primary Care services accessibility crisis.

Please take a few minutes to consider this important issue by viewing these questions and answers.

Question: What are the two biggest problems that plague America’s health care system today?

Answer: Access to available, competent, affordable health care services when required is the first. Inappropriate or excessive treatment is the second.

We should all be concerned about the excessive surgery and apparent over-drugging that is taking place today. Far too much is assumed by medical science and far too little is entrusted to the natural healing capabilities of our own bodies under our current system of health care.

I say this knowing that many Alternative Medicine Practitioners are also guilty of excessive vitamin and herbal therapy. The human body has an amazing capacity to heal itself of 90% of the ailments that commonly afflict us. All it needs is the opportunity to orchestrate the healing process naturally without excessive, inappropriate and often unnecessary Human interference.

Question: What is the one thing our nation’s traditional medical Doctors and Alternative Medicine Practitioners could do that would solve most of our health care problems overnight?

Answer: Learn to get along. Our nation’s traditional and Alternative Medicine Providers must begin working together to develop a health care services delivery system and Patient referral network that would be all-inclusive of health care Practitioners of every modality.

For example, if a Patient went to see a traditional or Alternative Medicine Practitioner and it was determined by the Practitioner that a referral to another Practitioner was required, with this type of all-inclusive health care system, the Patient would be recommended to pursue a course of counseling or therapy that would be biologically friendly to the Patient’s mind and body and would afford the best chance for a healthy outcome. This would be done regardless of whether the best course of action would be for the Patient to see a traditional medical services provider or Alternative Medicine Practitioner.

This proposed umbrella system of health care services accessibility is the only way out of the national mess we’re all in today. Conventional and nontraditional health care Practitioners are too busy fighting with one another about whose system of health care is best to really see what's taking place across America, right under their noses. People are losing trust in ALL health care Providers. It’s hard to find a good, caring Practitioner, anywhere, who really has the health and welfare of America’s citizens at heart.

Meanwhile, the bulk of America’s Patient population is caught in the middle. We’re all scratching our heads, not sure which way to turn for help when we’re really sick. It’s a shameful mess that our entire health care industry should strive quickly to eradicate.

Right now we spend almost 2 trillion dollars annually on health care in this country – that’s more than all other nations on earth combined. Yet the world health organization ranks America 37^th out of all industrialized nations in its ability to meet basic health care needs of its citizens. You would think that with the available human and financial resources, America could and should have the best health care system on the block.

Question: Why are insurance companies, Medicaid and Medicare actually doing more harm than good?

Answer: As well intentioned as many health insurance carriers, Medicaid and Medicare may be, their easy availability is helping to turn us into a nation of drug addicts and surgery seekers. A large percentage of primary care cases, and even many chronically ill Patients, use Medicare, Medicaid and their insurance policies in much the same way as many women use abortion as a birth control measure.

For instance, a Patient wakes up with the sniffles or a sore throat and before you know it the Patient is sitting in the office of their Family Physician. Even though the symptoms could have been easily addressed at home, the Patient felt compelled to visit a Physician. This is usually made possible by the coverage received from Medicare, Medicaid or a private or commercial health insurer.

If that same Patient had to pay cash, out-of-pocket, for every visit to a Doctor’s office for such minor health issues, how often do you think you’d see that Patient visiting the Doctor? Not often, that’s for sure. If that same Patient were required to pay for all routine office visits for minor health problems, it would only make good sense for the Patient to pursue a healthier lifestyle and more nutritious dietary regimen that could eliminate the need for excessive visits to a traditional or Alternative Medicine Practitioner.

Preventive health care education is the key to bringing about a more sensible health care system that our country can afford and that will actually help all of us to get and stay healthier and live longer, more productive lives of service to Humanity.

What we have found is that, quite often, when people begin embracing a healthier concept of living, either by choice or by necessity, the wiser and much more frugal they tend to get about where and when to spend their health care dollars.

If our nation, as a whole, began to look at our health care services industry in this light, it could bring about a sudden and greater awareness of the importance of preventive health measures instead of the lip service most Patients and Practitioners give to this important issue today. You would see an immediate improvement in the statistical health charts across the board.

Our belief is that health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, should primarily be used for the following reasons:

Where there is absolutely no possible way for a Patient to pay for health services out of pocket.
For expensive, corrective surgery and difficult births.
For serious health issues, beyond routine primary care, that require extensive consultation or treatment.

Question: What is the first important step that we, as individuals, must take to get America on track to becoming a healthy nation?

Answer: Become self-educated about sensible, preventive health care measures, such as a biologically-friendly lifestyle, daily exercise, sufficient rest and a good diet, that can help reduce our need for unnecessary visits to a traditional or Alternative Medicine Practitioner’s office.

Also, learn about the major health problems, sometimes referred to as health disparities, that plague certain Patient populations and the causes for the high incidence of these health issues among these different groups. Then develop a health plan for yourself that can keep you well, healthy and not physically or emotionally dependent on our current health care system, that is overburdened and inefficient in many areas of service.

Question: What is the first important step that we, as a nation, must take to get our health care system in order?

Answer: Any smart business person knows that if you can’t explain a proposed, new business venture on one sheet of paper in plain, understandable English, then you probably don’t know what exactly you intend to do. That makes good sense.

Along those lines I would say that if we can’t bring our entire health care services industry, including ALL traditional and alternative modalities, under one, comprehensive umbrella, that can be used to best advantage by anyone requiring health care services or counseling, then we probably don’t have the welfare of the American people in mind. This is the right thing to do and America needs to do it NOW.

Question: What seven questions should Patients be asking to determine if traditional medicine or an alternative Practitioner, such as a Chiropractor, Naturopath, Acupuncturist, Iridologist or Nutritionist, could offer the best chance for a healthy outcome?

Answer: Up to a certain point, every Practitioner – traditional and unconventional - learns the basics of how to care for the human body in times of illness and other distress. Having said that, when you consider the advanced training which all conventional and Alternative Medicine Practitioners undergo, therein lie the differences you must weigh carefully. If your ailment lends itself to care beyond what you can personally administer at home, but it is not perceived as being an emergency issue, I suggest that you ask yourself the following seven questions:

1. Which of the two major modes of therapy, traditional or alternative, will tend to be the most biologically friendly to my body and mind?

2. Can a Practitioner of either discipline offer more than just a quick diagnosis, an even quicker prognosis, a prescription for drugs or a recommendation to take a few food supplements and herbs, and then a quick pat on the rear as I’m leaving the office? In other words, will the Practitioner really take time to discuss my situation and realistic options with me?

3. How concerned will the Practitioner be with my own personal assessment of what is going on inside my body and mind?

4. Will I be allowed to communicate with the Practitioner after office hours, by email, if, for example, I require further clarification of the Practitioner’s recommendations and suggested course of treatment?

5. How much prior experience has the Practitioner had with the symptoms I’m presenting and does the Practitioner have a reasonable degree of confidence in a good and satisfactory outcome?

6. If I’m unsatisfied with the Practitioner’s degree of care will the Practitioner assist me in finding another local, health care Provider, either traditional or nontraditional, who can offer me the best chance for a healthy outcome?

7. If I have a nutritional deficiency should I be seeing a Surgeon? Conversely, If I broke my leg should my first visit be to the office of a Nutritionist?

Although there are other questions you may ask regarding potential care, these are the seven you may want to focus on to determine the most appropriate mode of therapy for your situation. As long as a Practitioner can emerge favorably from this compulsory third degree it really doesn’t matter whether the training is conventional or alternative.

There are many traditional health care services Providers who are a credit to their profession – really well trained and cerebral. On the other hand I've seen the handy work and heard the proclamations of quite a few Alternative Medicine 'gurus' who are, in my opinion, a disservice to the health care services industry.

The type of Practitioner you will tend to feel most comfortable with is a gut level decision that you must be able to make with conviction. Health care and personal hygiene is not a subjective pastime. It is an objective reality that we all deal with every day in some way. The better prepared you are to make important decisions about the quality of health care you will require periodically, the better off you will be in the long run.

Question: What are the five most important things most Doctors don’t know but should know about their Patients?

Answer:

The first major concern is that most Patients are scared to death of seeing a Doctor, particularly when there is a health problem where, through a lack of education, the Patient has no idea of what is going on and is very nervous about what they may learn when they see the Doctor.
The second major concern is that many Patients feel they are being overmedicated or receiving treatment and therapy that is not appropriate for their condition. Many of the drug ads that invade our TV screens every day with their promises of renewed health and vigor at the possible cost of ghastly side effects only exacerbate the confusion and frustration Patients currently feel when questioning or otherwise evaluating their course of treatment.
The third major area of concern is Patients having a lack of control or a real say-so over their course of treatment and therapy. They feel lost, afraid, alienated and distrustful of most diagnostic tests and cold prognoses that take place in the average medical office. Patients want to know their Doctors are seriously listening to them and are really concerned about them as human beings.
The fourth concern is the question of whether or not the Patient is being seen by a Practitioner best suited for the health complaint – not just the only Physician the Patient is able to see through their health insurance plan. Physicians and other Practitioners need to do a better job of assuring Patients in verbal and tangible ways that are fully qualified to offer optimal and appropriate care to Patients.
The fifth and probably most significant consideration is the feeling that medical Doctors are only concerned with how fast each Patient can be 'treated and streeted.' Patients have the perception that money is all that seems to matter to the medical profession. I urge Practitioners to take the time to get to know something about each Patient as people and apply your corrective skills as best befits a person’s lifestyle, dietary regimen and living habits. This will produce longer lasting and much more satisfying healthy outcomes.

Question: What is the best course of action for getting the fifty million Americans seen who currently do not have access to a primary provider?

Answer: USA Wellness Plan has developed a strategy for networking traditional and Alternative Medicine Practitioners, who can work together to solve this national crisis. Practitioners of traditional and Alternative Medicine, who are genuinely interested in the mission of this organization, can communicate freely with one another and with other visitors to this website.

SPECIAL NOTE: If you're a lay person or Practitioner of traditional or Alternative Medicine, interested in what I'm doing, use the Contact US form at this website to contact me for details about how you can join in this effort to alleviate America's health care crisis.

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Your willingness to explore these concerns demonstrates a desire to see our nation and every able citizen do the right thing to ensure we all have available traditional primary care or Alternative Medicine health care services that are appropriate for our illnesses.

There are a number of services and information products available at this website that can help you to better understand the causes and effects of our nation’s health care crisis. Most important, I can help you make wise choices in designing a personal health care program that is biologically-friendly to your body and appropriate for your lifestyle.

If you don’t know where you fit in America’s confusing health care puzzle, but you feel you must know, you can’t afford to be without my assistance.

Thanks for visiting USAWellnessPlan.com, your one, trusted Alternative Medicine-Primary Care information think tank in cyberspace. Bookmark and add it to your list of Favorite web sites and check back here often. We'll continually be posting articles and other interesting bits of relevant information you’ll enjoy reading.

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