Partly Health; Partly Politics

What's being discussed in Congress and around the country isn't health care reform. What's being discussed is health care financing reform. If we really reformed health care, less money would probably be needed.

Money, of course, while a BIG problem with the way health care is administered, isn't the only one.

In brief outline, the problems include: we're too sick as a society; we don't need physicians for most health problems; for many of our health problems a chiropractor or other practitioner would work just fine; we have too many medical tests which are potentially harmful, and not just to our wallet; we tend to get too much health care for certain things - like bypass operations -- and not enough on others, such as preventive care.

I'll cover some of the other topics mentioned above in future postings, but let's first talk about the second thing mentioned. We really don't need physicians for most health problems, but when we're feeling sick, the thing that's done is to make an appointment with a physician. Some so-called Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) have taken a small step in the right direction by having an initial visit done -- at least sometimes -- by a nurse-practitioner, or a physician's assistant.

But they haven't gone far enough.

Many people go to a doctor for colds or the flu. Some go with headaches or stomach ailments. The first practitioner they should see would be an herbalist or a naturopathic physician. A naturopath, depending on the state's laws, may be able to prescribe drugs, but are more likely not to, and in some states they can't. An herbalist obviously doesn't prescribe pharmaceuticals.

What both practitioners do is to suggest temporary or long-term dietary changes, plus the temporary consumption of a substance -- an herb, a vitamin, or other nutritional supplement, that will likely resolve the problem. Clearly a cold or flu won't be cured by these methods, but they won't be cured by prescription drugs, either.

Both supplements and drugs will make someone feel better until the common malady has passed.

Do we need someone with 4 years of medical school to pay-off seeing those patients?

Most stomach ailments can be treated with Slippery Elm Bark, Ginger, or Cascara Sagrada. And before you turn up your nose at those suggestions, I should add that Ginger for its primary application was proved equally as effective as Dramamine, in the treatment of nausea, and with vastly fewer side effects. Cascara Sagrada is extremely effective for treating constipation (a common reason for a doctor visit) and Slippery Elm Bark is magnificent for the opposite problem.

Should we be paying for an M.D. and a pharmacy to treat these problems? A bottle of 100 Slippery Elm Bark capsules costs about $5.00. Care to compare that with even an over-the-counter medication for "the trots"?

So if we could establish a practice and pattern (and require insurance carriers -- as long as it appears we're going to retain private health insurance companies -- to pay for such treatments) of having patients see an herbalist or naturopath first (and training those folks so they know when to refer to a physician), we'd have significantly better health care (less waiting time, fewer side effects) at less cost.

Don't hold your breath.

As said above, we'll cover some of the other health care reform issues, next time.

Meanwhile, you'd do me a great favor by looking at, and recommending to your friends that they look at my book that's now available on the Internet. It's called Mobile Millionaire and is about investment in mobile homes as a way of improving income and increasing wealth, with very little money. If you'd like to do me a favor, you'll let all the friends and associates to whom you normally forward jokes or send things to on a regular basis, know of the book, and asking them to tell anyone they know who might be interested.

There are three different ways to access the book.

1) Go to http://www.scribd.com and in the search box, type in the words, Mobile Millionaire. After scrolling down past some dumb ads, you'll see the book.

2) Go to http://www.google.com/advanced_search and type Mobile Millionaire in the exact phrase box and in the top box (all the following words) type in Business Finance.

3) Go directly to the site where the book is (and you can click on this if your e-mail system permits it): http://www.scribd.com//doc/17883658/Mobile-Millionaire

Meanwhile, if you'd like to access my other blogs, you can go to http://www.blogspot.com/JeffOnPolitics or http://www.blogspot.com/JeffOnRadio.

Thanks very much, and please check back soon.