‘SHIFTING FROM THE MEDICINE OF SICKNESS TO ONE OF WELLNESS’
Americans every where, especially
the 47 million + uninsured are wondering, will this administration be the one
to bring us out of the dark ages medicine? Yes, we’ve seen many new and
wonderful advances in the treatment of disease, but in that lay a big part of
the problem. We are still not dealing in the medicine of wellness only that of
sickness.
It doesn’t come as any big surprise
that so many will wait until they are sick to seek professional help, if you
have to choose between feeding your family or going to the doctor for a
wellness check up, or doing other costly kinds of therapy to keep yourself well
you will wait until you are sick, maybe too sick to make a good recovery. What
a very sad commentary for a nation that is still one of the most forwarding
thinking and resourceful in the world. I for one will be watching closely-
self-employment equals costly health insurance.
A new first of its kind study
sponsored by the California Nurses Association shows that establishing a
national single-payer style healthcare reform system would provide a major
stimulus for the U. S. economy. The study shows that expanding Medicare to
include the uninsured, and the under insured would have the following impacts:
1.
Create 2,613,495 million new permanent good paying
jobs
2.
Boost the economy with $317 billion in increased
business and public revenues
3.
Add $100 billion in employee compensation
4.
Infuse public budgets with $44 billion in new tax
revenues.
5.
End medical bankruptcy.
The above is based on current
statistics that show that every direct healthcare dollar creates nearly three
additional dollars in the U. S. economy- the current facts:
1.
Healthcare generates 45 million jobs, directly and in
related industries
2.
Accounts for 10.5% of all U.S. jobs and 12.1% of all
U.S. wages
3.
Totals 9.2% of the nation’s GNP
4.
Contributes 25% of all federal tax revenues.
A new fully funded healthcare
program would also include and push the medicine of wellness. At the end of the
day, a healthy individual equals a productive individual. This is not to say
that people don’t get sick and need treatment. But with a new focus on helping
people stay well, the practice of medicine should see a dramatic shift.
Multi-level therapies under one
roof will become the norm. Someone with a headache may see the massage
therapist or the chiropractor before actually seeing an MD. Our aging
population will benefit as well, with more focus on nutrition, psychosocial
counseling and physical therapy.
For decades the powers that be have
fought a single payer system thinking it’s more money out of their pocket. When
in reality simple programs of wellness available to every American will reduce
illness, hospitalizations and save business thousands in lost revenues due to
employee illness. It’s a win win. Till next time, Rebecca.
1/22/09