| First of all, let me make clear that I do not | | | | literal when I say illness treatment |
| really know what will happen. I can however | | | | insurance = "insurance to get sick." Who |
| for sure tell you that, like the stock | | | | knows, but I bet that with their high |
| market, the game is fixed!! | | | | deductibles, patients will wake up and insist |
| | | | on wellness care - real health care; which |
| Yes, I mean just that. You will never win. | | | | keeps them healthy; which will include food |
| Las Vegas is a pale comparison when it comes | | | | supplements, advice on exercise, massage, |
| to ripping people off. What people? You, the | | | | chiropractic, physical therapy, simple health |
| doctor, of course - if it is not already | | | | knowledge such as a round of 4-5 ice cold and |
| clears to you that the patients also get | | | | hot showers every day keeping your blood |
| ripped off too! Now that you know that I know | | | | circulation going, nutritional advice and |
| nothing about the game of the insurance | | | | more, much more. |
| companies and all the hula-hoop of the | | | | |
| government, of why, how, and when to expect | | | | This above reasoning is also heavily |
| that you the doctor and all the patients | | | | underlined by a decade-long trend into the |
| participating in it will ever win. | | | | natural, alternative and holistic wave of |
| | | | medicine, which cannot possibly be |
| Here is however what seems to be on the | | | | overlooked. It has grown into a multi-billion |
| horizon: | | | | dollar industry. |
| | | | |
| People will start to think that because | | | | People are waking up to real health care the |
| companies start choosing insurances with high | | | | same way as when they started seeking freedom |
| annual deductibles, that such will be a good | | | | instead of slavery. And frankly, this should |
| thing. All insurance, in the first place, is | | | | scare the average doctor who does not want to |
| supposed to take care of huge and completely | | | | use this trend to provide such services to |
| unmanageable circumstances. | | | | demanding patients. With the advent of the |
| | | | Internet, the public gets educated faster |
| So insurance was a good idea. But like most | | | | than ever on new ways and the Drug companies |
| good ideas it has been perverted such as the | | | | will have a hell of a time keeping those |
| child labor union. It was a good idea when | | | | vital and very workable alternatives from |
| they actually did prevent child slavery but | | | | them! |
| now it makes sure that we create a young | | | | |
| civilization that has no value until their | | | | And you the doctor better be prepared to do |
| eighteenth year or so because child labor | | | | the following: |
| protection forbids the young active energetic | | | | |
| 14 year old from working and to participate | | | | Realize that you first will have to market to |
| and feel useful, despite the fact that just | | | | those high deductible individuals. |
| about any successful captain of industries | | | | |
| will tell you how they contributed to their | | | | Your staff better be prepared to explain the |
| families' survival at age 10 and younger! | | | | need for minor services very well or those |
| | | | patients will walk out without leaving you |
| You get the point! | | | | much money and probably never come back |
| | | | either. Realize that preventive health care |
| Back to insurances. If people pay the every | | | | will take on a whole new meaning to the |
| day cost of health care and only insure the | | | | patients, and the doctors. If you the doctor |
| "out of reach items" - let's say $4,000 and | | | | do not get on the bandwagon (no matter how |
| above per year, then cost of insurance will | | | | much the AMA or FDA etc. might protest) then |
| go down by at least $4,000, if not more!! And | | | | the MLM guy and the casual quacks will get |
| yet the actual everyday health care cost per | | | | the bulk of those $3,000 per year from |
| person will in most cases be less that a | | | | hundreds of millions of people. |
| $1,000 per month and rarely more than $3,500 | | | | |
| for elders. | | | | So, there are really no pitfalls, except not |
| | | | realizing and working hard and fast and early |
| So, in effect they would be saving money! | | | | on acquiring the practice management |
| Indeed they would. | | | | marketing skills to get your share. |
| | | | |
| Keep in mind that if the patient pays the | | | | Nobody will pass a law that you HAVE to get |
| doctor, there is automatically an awful lot | | | | your share!! Oh no!! The effort by the AMA |
| less paperwork to administer by the doctors' | | | | and the drug companies of putting everyone in |
| office and by the insurance. This means | | | | jail who helps someone to get healthy or |
| savings for all - the doctor, the patient, | | | | recover without drugs will be put to rest |
| the insurance companies. | | | | because people are maintaining their health |
| | | | or getting well. |
| Anyhow, quite a few people in government, | | | | |
| insurance and private economists are grinding | | | | As national negotiator Mr. Karass says: |
| around that topic. Economical self-evidence | | | | |
| will, I think, get it in the direction of | | | | "In life you do not get what you deserve - |
| high deductibles a bit more every month. | | | | you get only what you negotiate!" |
| | | | |
| This will, despite of it being a good thing, | | | | And then, there is this: |
| introduce opportunities and pitfalls for the | | | | |
| individual practitioner. It is simply a | | | | "If the doctor of today does not become the |
| change and must be dealt with accordingly. | | | | nutritionist of tomorrow then the |
| There are no pitfalls except if the | | | | nutritionist of today will be the doctor of |
| individual practitioner does not start early | | | | tomorrow" - Rockefeller Institute of Medical |
| enough in realizing that it will change the | | | | Research, New York. |
| way he can attract new patients. Keep in | | | | |
| mind those new patients with high deductibles | | | | Or as Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, |
| will now be paying cash for their services | | | | and the person whose oath most of you Doctors |
| and will not be bound to go where their | | | | take, said: |
| insurance tells them to go!! Hm!! | | | | |
| | | | "All medicine is food and all foods are |
| It is a dream come true for those who know | | | | medicine." |
| how to cater to those millions of free | | | | |
| running patients. Patients might of course | | | | There are many ways on how to create an |
| also delay some regular small treatments, | | | | advantage for you and the patients you will |
| because they now have to pay and thus you | | | | be seeing, and some ways will fit you better |
| need to do a better job at enlightening or | | | | than others but the most important thing will |
| educating the patients, and tending to their | | | | be to look at many ways - kick them around, |
| health. | | | | ask your consultants, or read books. Simply |
| | | | take initiative to find out, don't be afraid |
| Marketing and selling is part of the | | | | of mistakes and due to this fear of mistakes |
| patient's education. Avoid becoming a | | | | sink into doing nothing until you are |
| marketing/management expert because you are a | | | | absolutely sure and until it has been proven |
| clinical expert and you perish. | | | | to work for others. If you wait and wait and |
| | | | see and see then, well, you most likely will |
| Because, last but not least, there will be a | | | | once more cry "victim!" in a few short years. |
| shift in what services people will demand. Oh | | | | Followers are sheep, - sheep get killed. |
| yes - there will be an emphasis on preventive | | | | Followers don't make money and have little |
| care versus illness treatment. | | | | personal satisfaction. |
| | | | |
| You see, insurances have never really paid | | | | Sorry but that is how it will be - in my |
| for staying healthy; they only reimburse the | | | | humble opinion! |
| patients for treatment needed if sick. Don't | | | | |
| ask me for the rationality and how insurances | | | | A new opportunity is on the horizon. The |
| get away with it. After all, it not only | | | | first few figuring out how to use it will be |
| costs less to keep a person healthy than | | | | the winners and will eat up a bunch of the |
| getting him back to health, it is also more | | | | rest. But that is nothing new in that, isn't |
| pleasant! | | | | it? Read "The Grocery Store Future of the |
| | | | Medical Practitioner." Readers of this issue |
| Why did the public fall for this health care | | | | will have no excuse if they end up in the |
| insurance scam when it is really a "please | | | | wrong group, the ones which get devoured by |
| make me sick insurance"? And I am very | | | | the mavericks! |