America’s preoccupation with reforming health care is misguided and futile. Social medicine by any name or statute is designed to make medical care more available to more people.
The ultimate goal is to provide Americans a healthier life. Here is a short list of reasons this plan can only fail.
One interesting statistic to consider is the inverse relationship between the number of doctors per capita and lifespan. This means that in countries where fewer doctors are available, the population lives longer and visa versa.
This shows that more available medical care does not produce increased longevity.
A survey of patients prescribed medication for heart disease is more revealing. Responders who claimed to rarely take their medication outlived those who took it “sometimes.” The group who died the soonest were those who took their medication “everyday” as directed.
Much of the health care issue concerns children as they are innocent victims of this situation and are our nation’s future. The first health care exposure a child can experience is birth.
Consider these statistics before opting for the now standard hospital birth. Compared to home births, hospital births are four times more likely to need resuscitation and to become infected. Hospital births are six times more likely to be caught in the birth canal and 30 times more likely to be permanently injured.
Americans already “enjoy” the most medications, surgeries and hospitalizations per capita of all peoples. Our health rating (WHO 2007) is 37th and will not improve by throwing more of the same at this issue.
Webster’s Dictionary defines reform as “1.) To improve by altering, correcting errors or removing defects; 2.) To eliminate abuse or malpractice; 3.) A movement that tries to improve a sociopolitical situation without revolutionary change.”
Clearly, our system need a massive reform. Step one should be a goal of health in health care rather than combating disease. Our bodies are beautifully and wonderfully made and we need to treat them as such.
Medical care only masks symptoms while introducing another insult to an already challenged body. The secret of health is no secret — just treat your body like the prized possession that it is.
The ultimate goal is to provide Americans a healthier life. Here is a short list of reasons this plan can only fail.
One interesting statistic to consider is the inverse relationship between the number of doctors per capita and lifespan. This means that in countries where fewer doctors are available, the population lives longer and visa versa.
This shows that more available medical care does not produce increased longevity.
A survey of patients prescribed medication for heart disease is more revealing. Responders who claimed to rarely take their medication outlived those who took it “sometimes.” The group who died the soonest were those who took their medication “everyday” as directed.
Much of the health care issue concerns children as they are innocent victims of this situation and are our nation’s future. The first health care exposure a child can experience is birth.
Consider these statistics before opting for the now standard hospital birth. Compared to home births, hospital births are four times more likely to need resuscitation and to become infected. Hospital births are six times more likely to be caught in the birth canal and 30 times more likely to be permanently injured.
Americans already “enjoy” the most medications, surgeries and hospitalizations per capita of all peoples. Our health rating (WHO 2007) is 37th and will not improve by throwing more of the same at this issue.
Webster’s Dictionary defines reform as “1.) To improve by altering, correcting errors or removing defects; 2.) To eliminate abuse or malpractice; 3.) A movement that tries to improve a sociopolitical situation without revolutionary change.”
Clearly, our system need a massive reform. Step one should be a goal of health in health care rather than combating disease. Our bodies are beautifully and wonderfully made and we need to treat them as such.
Medical care only masks symptoms while introducing another insult to an already challenged body. The secret of health is no secret — just treat your body like the prized possession that it is.
— David A. Dubyak
