Most of what we read today is designed to further a political agenda or create a “straw man” that we can beat up on and think we are doing something constructive. The major Media Outlets foster this thinking because they have an agenda to socialize medicine in this country. Countries that have socialized medicine end up with many prescriptions not being covered, waiting lines, and certain procedures being denied if you are a senior citizen. They end up with a “Global Budget” for healthcare and the only way it can work is if they “ration” care in some way. The real issues driving up our health care costs are as follows:

The number one issue is the government’s underpayment to providers. If a medical procedure retails for $8000 and an insurance company discount lowers that number to $6500 we understand that. We also understand that Medicare might reimburse that same procedure at $5500 and Medi-Cal at $5,000. Now imagine what has to happen when Medicare and Medi-Cal cuts reimbursements by 10% because they are running out of money. Logic tells us that this has to be shifted over to insurance companies and private pay patients. This is the “dirty little secret” that is being hidden from the public. It is responsible for most of the increase in recent years.

The next issue is defensive medicine. Most physicians are forced to order unneeded tests in order to insulate themselves from lawsuits coming out of a condition they might have overlooked. Their malpractice insurance requires them to do this. In a recent conversation I had with an insurance company executive, she said that 50% of all tests coming into the claims department are deemed unnecessary. Most of our politicians are former attorneys and are supported by the trial lawyers. This is why all meaningful attempts at tort reform have failed.

This one is a moral issue. The majority of our lifetime medical expense will occur in the last 6 months of our lives. A significant amount of this expense is a “long shot.” However, at this point in time we try everything to save a life. One thing is for certain, if we socialize medicine this one will be solved for us by governmental budget restraints.

It is no secret that drugs in Canada can be purchased for around 40 cents on the dollar and in Mexico that number is 30 cents on the dollar. This is because the citizens of the United States carry all of the “research and development” burden. This simply isn’t fair.

The medical community is at the mercy of the drug and insurance companies. The drug companies generally support a system that treats the symptoms of health problems rather than the cause. For example, most of the new medicine “trials” are sponsored and paid for by the drug companies. What do you think the outcomes will be? Furthermore, many prescriptions have side affects that must be neutralized by additional prescriptions. Years ago, the insurance companies gave up trying to bring prudence and logic into the equation. At one time, they were looking at alternative medicines and testing outcomes. From what I saw and visits I had with people involved, they were demonized by trying to advance change. As a result, they now concern themselves with profits and stay out of the fray.

Many medical problems are the result molecular changes in our cells due to what we believe about ourselves at the deepest level. People who are loaded down with negativity, guilt, shame, condemnation, regret, and fear, just to name a few, are actually changing the structure of their cells and unknowingly inviting certain diseases and medical conditions. Many in the medical community understand this, but their medical training doesn’t prepare them to help people struggling in these areas. In addition, our medical system only allows for a few minutes with our doctor. All they can do is treat the symptoms. These issues are spiritual and emotional and are contributing heavily to the overall cost of medical care.

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