Myths That Threaten Health Care Reform (Part 2)

Some opponents say we can’t afford health care reform because the national debt is too large. It won’t shrink if we don’t make some changes. Here are some myths about the cost of health care reform:

• The system we have works just fine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that cases of diabetes in the United States over the next 50 years will increase by 198% without a shift to prevention and early intervention. The Senate bill increases funds for preventive care. This will greatly reduce the need for expensive specialists, who treat advanced stages of disease.
• There’s no evidence that disease prevention reduces costs. The CDC also reports that the cost to extend the life of a patient with Type 2 diabetes averages $1100 per year with lifestyle interventions versus $31,300 with the drug Metformin. Those figures exclude increased tax revenues from people who spend more time in the work force. They also exclude savings from increased productivity and decreased need for disability payments. Diabetes can lead to heart disease, strokes, and other diseases.
• Greater access leads to lower costs. Medical schools don’t teach physicians how to prevent and treat the chronic diseases that drive our health care costs. Physicians who succeed in these areas usually learn the techniques through personal research or continuing education after they graduate. The Institute for Functional Medicine and the American Academy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine have developed short, inexpensive continuing education programs that give allopathic (mainstream) physicians, associated professionals, and scientists the skills and tools they need to prevent and treat chronic disease. Their methods are based on proven research. With their help, the current medical work force can be quickly retrained to provide necessary services. This will reduce the need for funds to train new primary care providers.
• Costs won’t decrease without malpractice reform. The shift to prevention should naturally reduce the number of malpractice cases. This should also cause the cost of malpractice insurance to fall without limiting awards for legitimate cases. The number of applicants to medical schools will naturally increase because new graduates will then be able to afford to repay their loans and feed their families.

Click the appropriate links to read Part 1, Part 3, or Part 4 of this series.

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