April 07, 2005

(This is a reprint of an article written several years ago. It contains some of the material given in the last two articles, but is a little more comprehensive in some of it. Please forgive the repetitions. Editor)

Don't look now (is it already too late?), but your health care is just about to be sucked down that big black hole into total chaos. You don't believe that? Then you have just not been paying attention.

The one with CONTROL of the wealth is the one who calls the shots. This is true in every aspect of life. Health care is no exception.

We all know who controls the wealth, and it isn't us. By many means, which have been discussed at length in many articles, the government of the U.S. has taken over control of all the wealth in this country. We appear to "control" at least some of it, but that is mere illusion if you consider the vast array of regulations, taxes and outright bans - not to mention the fact that the very "value" of that "money" we think we control can be reduced to zero in seconds if the power brokers decide to do so. This includes real estate, stock, and investments of every kind. Barter items and precious metals, etc. are only worth something if you are free to move about and trade them with others.
So, what does this have to do with health care? Everything. You get what you pay for. If you don't control what and who is paid, you have no real voice in things, no matter how much you believe the propaganda about "patient rights", "confidentiality", "choice", or any of the other fairy tales.

Those who are making the health care decisions in the HMOs and Medicare administration are doing so for political reasons, not because they care about your health. Most of the regulations and systems in place are in direct opposition to anything that would encourage, let alone insure good health care.

The sad fact is that the Medicare control of medicine is almost complete in this country now. What was once the problem of the elderly and the disabled alone has become everyone's problem, both those who need health care and those who pay the taxes. It is on a one way road to destruction, and I don't mean just going bankrupt financially. It has destroyed integrity and voluntary relationships in every area of medicine already.

You can't have it both ways.

People have been brainwashed into thinking that Medicare is "insurance", or even worse, "free". People would rather believe the lie than face the hard truth. There is no such thing as "something for nothing". You have no control over what happens unless you are paying for it yourself. Period.

How many people seek out health care from alternate sources? Herbalists? Midwives? Acupuncture? If these do not have the stamp of approval (read "control") by the government, you are discouraged from using them and the pressure grows daily to put them under the federal thumb or out of existence. Many disciplines that used to be "alternative" have accepted the yoke of bondage and are now "regulated". Each loss closes the gate on another choice, another treatment or medicine that might be just the one you need, or even save your life.

So, if you want free choice and you want the provider to be responsive and accountable to you rather than the government, you have to pay them yourself and you have to be free to go somewhere else if you are not satisfied. It just doesn't work any other way.

Is "regulation" needed at all?

But what about those who would cheat or harm us intentionally? Don't we NEED some form of government regulation?
Along with freedom of choice comes responsibility for your decisions. Instead of putting your trust in the polluted and false assurances of government regulation, you must be your own and your family's advocate and make sound decisions based on fact, not myth. The "license" of the doctor or nurse is no more a guarantee of excellence or integrity than the driver's license is proof of a good driver.

Take the analogy of the road a little farther. Consider what happens when you drive. Do you believe that all of the other drivers are good and honest, simply because they have a "license"? Is a person automatically a "bad driver" if he doesn't have that plastic card? Do you watch out for possible dangerous actions and take precautions yourself to avoid them, or do you just ignore what is going on around you because there are police cars on the road "somewhere" and you believe they will protect you from the bad driver?

Do the rules of the road "make" drivers safe? Or does the self interest of needing to get from one place to another usually encourage a reasonable effort in most people to drive safely? Laws and regulations cannot "force" anyone to do anything. They can only be used to punish people who are caught not obeying them. Therefore, the regulations and licenses in any profession or trade are useless before the fact. Many times they contribute directly to problems and outright danger because they give people a false sense of security. Just because someone knows how to fill out all the right paperwork doesn't mean they really know what they are doing as far as helping you with your medical problems.

So, what can you do to protect yourself? First, take complete responsibility for your own health and that of your children. Learn all you can about healthy living, diet, environment and relationships. Then set about to implement them in your life. Prevention of disease and injury is always the best.

Build strong families and social support systems. Make sure you have designated someone you trust to make health care decisions for you if you become unable to do so. Put it in writing so you have at least that slim protection from the greedy maw of the state.

Find and get to know a good doctor and medical facility. Make it your business to discover the reputation they have in your community. This information is almost always readily available. Ask the doctor how long he/she has been in practice and what extra education he/she has had. Ask your friends and neighbors. Ask the local hospital about physician admitting privileges. They won't tell you someone is a "bad" doctor, but if he can't admit patients anywhere in town, you can pretty well conclude that he shouldn't be involved in your health care. Hospitals are picky about who they will deal with, especially with all the lawsuits floating around.

Ask detailed questions about any medicines, treatments or procedures that are proposed. Find out the exact benefit expected and the real possible risks. Make sure that the expected benefits outweigh the possible risks. Educate yourself (the internet is fabulous for this) about your condition and the usual treatments for it, as well as any promising new treatments available. You will quickly see here that government regulation and "control" hampers a great deal of research and new development, and makes that which is available horribly expensive in the pretense of making it "safe". Just remember that there is no completely "safe" medicine, surgery or treatment of any kind. Know and weigh the risks. Make an informed decision.

If you find that the doctor does not respect your involvement or is not willing to spend the time to answer your questions and concerns, you need to find another doctor. You can see now how much the loss of choice hampers this process. If you are locked into "care" paid for by others, you won't likely be free to do this completely unless you are willing to go it on your own.

In my experience, doctors are usually very happy to have involved, educated patients. They are much more likely to invest more time and a greater effort in finding the right treatment or medicine for you if they know that you are aware of the risks and plan to actively participate in your own wellness. Far too many doctors have become discouraged, having little or no hope that their patients will even comply with their treatment at all, much less take personal responsibility for any of the outcome. Without a solid understanding by the patient of what is going on, and the legal hazards of irresponsible and illogical lawsuits, doctors are faced with an impossible task if they wish to give their honest best when patients don't fully participate.

It is no wonder that so many of them rapidly shuttle from one patient to the next just going through the motions. Most people don't really want the hard truth about their own responsibility for their health. They want a "pill" to fix whatever troubles them, not a diet or an exercise program. They want tranquilizers, not the responsibility of building healthy family and work relationships. They want something that is "free", not things that require effort and a change of attitude on their part. They may complain that all the doctor does is write another prescription, but far too few ask for or will accept anything else.

Think about it.

Related articles:

Medicare's Origin: The Economics and Politics of Dependency

Medicare's Long Term Impact "somebody else is supposed to pay for health care mentality"

The War on Doctors

Cloudy Future For Retirees

Medicare Seen Insolvent by 2019

Senate Approves ‘First Step Toward Dismantling Medicare’

Americans for Free Choice in Medicine (AFCM) is a national non-profit, non-partisan educational organization.

Heartland Institute
Is The Legal System Killing Health Care? In Illinois, The Answer is 'Yes'
by Maureen Martin
"Scores of doctors have already left medicine or have moved their practices out of Illinois because they cannot afford malpractice premiums or can no longer obtain coverage at any price .... Such concerns led the American Medical Association to declare Illinois a state 'in crisis.'" (3/26/04)

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The Meltdown of Western Medicine Part I

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