Archive for August, 2009
Owning Your Patient Power by Learning the Health Care Debate Lingo
August 18th, 2009 | 
Author: As a chiropractor I know that there are many people looking for good, afforable health care, and healthy alternatives to what is now available to them in such limited quantity and quality. I treat many people who have no health insurance or are struggling to pay for medical insurance that not only doesn’t cover chiropractic care, but doesn’t cover other medical needs. And, I don’t have to tell you that these days, there’s a whole lot of shouting about health care going on. I don’t think that it’s too optimistic for us to hope that beneath and beyond the cacophony of conflicting opinions and misinformation, patients will find themselves more powerful than ever in determining what kinds of preventative health alternatives are available to them, the type of universal care that they will be able to get should they require it, and the variety, affordability, fairness, and efficacy of that care.
As an aid to “owning” your patient power, I am passing along a seemingly “neutral” article that I just read that I think you will find as helpful as I did, especially if you are confused by all the back and forth on health care reform. It is a guideline to terms that are commonly tossed about in the health care debate. If you have been wondering what any or all of the following terms mean, I invite you to check out the site at the bottom of this post: Blue Dog coalition, Co-op, Electronic records, End-of-life counseling, Gang of Six, health insurance exchange, Health care rescission, House Energy and Commerce Committee, Mandated coverage, Medicare/Medicaid, “Obamacare,” Private insurance, Public options, Senate HELP committee, Single-payer.
Naturally, knowing what these terms mean doesn’t actually solve the problem. But, it may help us with the dialogue, should the sound decibels decrease to a point where the human voice is actually intelligible.
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Chiropractic is Good for Your Health; BPA-Based Polycarbonate Products are bad. The Good News Is, As a Patient and Consumer, You Always Have a Choice
I’m a Chicago chiropractor, and I believe in a holistic approach to health. Naturally, I believe in chiropractic care. I also believe that “you are what you eat,” and that exercise and a good night’s sleep are essential for good health. Most of the time, good health depends on what you put into your body to give it what it needs to function optimally. But, an essential component to being healthy also lies in what you “don’t do,” i.e., what you don’t put into your body, like avoiding fruits and vegetables that are sprayed with pesticides, and not drinking your spring water out of plastic bottles that contain BPA.
Just as patients are powerful when it comes to reforming health care, consumers are powerful when it comes to reforming product safety standards. Along those lines, I just read a really good article on Enviroblog: “BPA: Can consumer revolt trump K Street?” The blog post is all about Massachusetts’ strictly voluntary approach to reducing human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA). On Monday, August 3rd, the state Department of Public Health issued a warning to parents and caretakers to avoid BPA-based polycarbonate baby bottles and infant formula packaged in cans lined with epoxy resin, another material whose key component is BPA.
Apparently, the Massachusetts advisory lacks the force of laws enacted earlier this year by Minnesota and Connecticut legislators, who have banned BPA in baby bottles and other containers used by young children. But, health warnings can spur consumer resistance that can change the marketplace faster than laws and regulations.
There’s a lot more interesting (and inspiring) information contained in the blog. You can read it at www.enviroblog.org. But, the point to remember is that change, really, is up to you. As a patient and a consumer, you are powerful and you can make a difference.