Health Care

Many people turn to alternative medicine because of wanting their provider to see them as a unique individual. Yet, the reality is that individualization matters in both conventional and alternative health care.

One of the poorly-understood problems with applying the findings from conventional medical research studies is that the findings reflect group averages, not information about individual patients. It really isn’t possible to know if the statistics apply to you or not.

Interestingly, a prominent academic geneticist from Duke University and reportedly worldwide vice-president of genetics at a leading pharmaceutical company was quoted as saying the following:

“The vast majority of drugs more than 90 per cent only work in 30 or 50 percent of the people… I wouldn’t say that most drugs don’t work. I would say that most drugs work in 30 to 50 percent of people. Drugs out there on the market work, but they don’t work in everybody.”

What are conventional medical researchers doing about this alarming situation? They are starting to look at our individual genetic patterns to determine which drugs are most likely to help which people. Right now, the reality is that medical doctors have to use trial-and-error decision-making to choose the next drug option. So, it is coming full circle. Conventional medicine is recognizing the need to individualize treatment for different people with the “same” diagnosis. And they are working towards developing methods to do so for their primary therapeutic tool, drugs.

One of the strengths of many alternative medicine approaches is that they already individualize - and they don’t need genetic tests to do so. They can use information that they can get from interviewing, observing, and examining the patient. Established alternative medicine systems such as acupuncture, classical homeopathy, and Ayurveda, have systems for evaluating the person as a whole to determine the optimal interventions in an individualized way.

The potential advantage of alternative medicine individualization over genetics tests is that the systems of care are well developed already. They don’t rely on extensive and hard-to-get laboratory tests that are still in mostly research stages and that, in the end, may only tell the doctor how a person might respond to a specific drug for a specific problem in a specific body part. Although there are definitely situations when conventional medication is the way to go, the alternative health care systems can address health problems of the individual person now. The goals are to improve the well-being of the person as a whole, not just a particular body part.

Finally, even when drugs are essential (and many times they are to stay alive), people still want something more than just a treatment for a disease. That is, they want to go beyond merely surviving and reach a state of wellness or even flourishing. Alternative approaches are better suited to help develop that positive dimension of health care.

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line is kept intact.)

Iris R. Bell, MD PhD is an alternative medicine researcher, author, and educator. Discover a self-empowering system for treating arthritis with her new multimedia program, available at http://www.arthritiscaremap.com

Tags: Alternative Medicine, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Wellness, homeopathy, Iris Bell, MD

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The more you and your employees know about your health care plan choices, the easier it is to control costs. By Cathy Aguirre

How to control health care costs continues to dominate discussions among benefit administrators, chief financial
officers, CEOs, insurance brokers and health benefit companies. When you lower your costs, your employees often react by thinking they will receive fewer benefits.

Offering a choice of plans, having a sensible contribution strategy and providing employee education can hold costs down and satisfy employees.

Choice, Choice, Choice

Offering a choice in benefit plans, choice in network access and choice in monthly costs are some of the best ways to keep health care costs affordable. Whether you have 20 employees or 1,000, find a health benefits company that can offer you several plans for employees to choose from.

Typically, employers offer very little choice in health benefit plans. Successful benefit administrators understand that every employee has unique health care needs. Why not offer employees three or four plans to choose from?

The level of benefits employees choose will relate directly to how much they utilize health care services and what they can
afford.

Most health benefit companies offer the following types of plans.

Traditional HMO. Lowest-cost plan, all care is coordinated by a primary care physician; employee must stay in network

Open access. A slightly higher-priced plan allowing the employee the freedom to selfrefer to specialists in the network. More freedom equals a higher cost.

Point of Service (POS). A less affordable plan for most, with more freedom; employee can access HMO benefits/network and/or
pay higher co-insurance and choose any doctor

Preferred Provider Organization plan (PPO).
Greatest freedom, highest cost; total network access and out-of-network benefit, self-refer to specialist

Developing a contribution strategy

Now that you have decided to partner with a carrier that can offer your employees the choices they need, how do you stay within your company’s budget? The answer is simple be fair and consistent by implementing a defined contribution strategy that fits your company’s budget. This process can be accomplished in two easy steps.

1. Determine what dollar amount per employee your business can afford.

2. Select a carrier that can offer you four plans that will satisfy your employees’ health care needs.

Here’s an example of how a defined contributions strategy could work for you (based on a health benefits budget of $180 per
employee, per month).

In the example in the chart above, your company accomplished two very important goals: You controlled your company’s costs
and you offered your employees choices.

With a defined contributions strategy, your employees are responsible for evaluating what they need and how much they are willing to pay.

A choice of plans with a defined contribution strategy is two-thirds of the employer’s cost saving equation. By adding employee education, you could see a change in behavior that can lead to significant savings. The more informed employees are about the true cost of health care and how their choicesdirectly affect their pocketbook, the more likely they are to become “partners” in controlling costs.

Most health benefit carriers provide members with an Explanation of Benefits for all claims processed, which contains the cost of
services. Web-based tools offer plan information and are user-friendly. At workshops and mandatory open enrollment educational
meetings, employees can speak directly with a carrier representative.

As health insurance premiums continue to rise and more employers face very difficult decisions, offering a choice of plans can keep your employees happy and satisfy your bottom line.

CATHY AGUIRRE, vice president of account services for VISTA,
has more than 18 years of experience in managed care marketing.
Aguirre provides leadership for all of VISTA’s commercial
accounts, which include Broward County government, The School Board of Broward County, Broward Sheriff’s Office, Miami-Dade Government, Sears, Walgreen’s and United Airlines.
Reach her at http://www.vistahealthplan.com

Tags: Health care, controlling cost

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When you have a pet, you know that you have to do the best you can to take care of its needs. You want to give it the best, which, as you are aware, depends on what you believe is best for your pet. It is clear that your pet cannot achieve better health without your careful attention.

You become in a sense the adopted parent, who is at the same time, a good and well-known friend. That is why it is clear that so many people want to give their animal friends the best that they can through natural health care.

Horse lovers know that their horse also needs love and care. And that is why so many are going about it through equine natural health. This way they help their horse’s immune system function at its best, as it is no secret that a horse has special needs.

Equine natural health will help the horse and its rider and or caregiver get the best out of nature and use it to their benefit. It entails things such as horse massages and natural health medicines, as well as equine natural health vitamins that will help keep your horse functioning at its best.

Equine natural health is also focused around horse benefits. Your horse–just like any other– animal will indeed benefit from the wonders of natural health care.

And if you want to start with equine natural health then you know that the best place to start is with a diet. Deficiency in many nutrients and vitamins can subject your horse to many illnesses. And with natural health equine supplements, you can protect your horse’s immune system.

You will get a whole lot of information on how to give your horse a shiny coat from equine natural health books and newsletters. This is the best way you can ensure that your horse is getting the best

Emmanuel Aubrey The Information Generator
My website is http://www.emmanuelaubrey.com

If you want more information on health topics visit my website.
My email: emmanuel@emmanuelaubrey.com

Tags: health, natural health, herbal, health care, nutrition, vitamins

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