Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. That is a staggering statistic. Over 100,000 people die each year due to properly prescribed medications. Wow! Another mind-blowing statistic. The U.S. ranks last overall “on measures of quality, efficiency, access to care, equity, and ability to lead long, healthy, and productive lives, according to the Commonwealth Fund report, when compared to six other industrialized countries.” Shameful!
I have watched the healthcare system slowly crumble over the past twenty-five years. The worst part… it continues to get worse, not better. I don’t have to try to convince you of just how bad it has gotten, you are seeing and experiencing it first-hand. Finding a good doctor has gotten much, much harder. Getting in to see your doctor has gotten much more difficult. The time your doctor spends with you, if you get to see the doctor at all, is miniscule. The tests the doctor wants to order are often delayed because the insurance company does not want to approve or pay for those tests. Diagnostic tests, if approved, are often scheduled out weeks, or even months, despite the fact that those tests are needed now. Your health insurance premiums have skyrocketed. The services and number of doctors covered have reduced. Your insurance deductibles and co-pays have risen exponentially.
Simply put, the cost of healthcare has exploded, the quality of care has tanked, and people are very frustrated that they can’t get what they need when it comes to proper and timely care. The U.S. spends more on healthcare than any other country (back in 2007 we spent $7,290 per capita on healthcare, yet we ranked dead last, compared to the Netherlands, who spent $3,837 per capita, and ranked first), has the most advanced equipment, the most doctors, the most hospitals, and consumes approximately one half of all the world’s medications. This gives the illusion that we are superior when it comes to healthcare. While we are superior at spending money, our healthcare outcomes are dismal.
The best doctors are fleeing medicine, meaning you will find it harder and harder to see an actual medical doctor. Your primary interactions when it comes to doctor visits will be with professionals with less training, less experience, and fewer credentials, meaning you will see more medical errors, lower quality care, and even poorer health outcomes.
Ok… now that I’ve completely bummed you out, I should share some possibly good news. There is one saving grace about hitting rock bottom. Like the alcoholic that wakes up naked, in a ditch, covered in his or her own excrement, there is often that moment when we say enough is enough, and are forced to change. I am often asked, how do we change the healthcare system? You don’t. You can’t. This system is so broken, corrupt, greedy, and screwed up that there is no “correcting” this system. The answer? You choose a different system.
That is the good that is coming from the collapse of the current medical system. It is forcing people to seek out alternatives. Healthcare specialties like massage, chiropractic, acupuncture, etc., are booming. People who said they would never go to a chiropractor, or don’t believe in acupuncture, are left with no other options. And guess what? They are excited because they are spending less money, getting better results, and finally addressing the cause of their problems. The natural alternatives that were ignored because of mainstream medicine’s monopoly, misinformation, and greed, are now becoming the treatment of choice for many Americans. The end result will be better care, less sickness, better access, and more affordability. People are finally seeing the shortcomings and failures of a healthcare system that has run us into the ground.
I don’t have to convince you that healthcare is crumbling. You are experiencing it yourself. If you’ve taken the leap and chosen more natural, safer, and affordable means of caring for your health… congratulations! It is the best decision you could make in terms of boosting your health success. If you are still clinging to the idea that medicine is the answer, I urge you to consider a different path. You deserve better care, more favorable health outcomes, and a more positive experience. Ask any doctor if healthcare has gotten better or worse. Every single one of them will most certainly say worse. The ship is sinking. And the healthcare system forcing people to jump is the best thing that could be happening to the health of you and your family. You’re not jumping from that broken ship into shark-infested waters… you’re jumping into a ship worthy of getting you to where you want to go.
