If we listen to insurance companies and politicians it sounds like good health is dependent on some form of contracted “coverage.” What does this mean? It’s hard to say for sure, and it’s not my intent here to assign motives to anyone, because I don’t and can’t know what others’ motives are. But it seems clear that to allow insurance carriers to contract with every U.S. citizen is an opening for increasing control by the insurance companies, not less. Is this what we want? Personally I suspect it would create more problems than it solves. At the end of this book you’ll find a discussion of my proposed solutions to these problems. Does having an insurance contract guarantee that you’ll get the care you need, or that you’re protected from financial liability? One group puts it this way:

“Claims denial has reached an all time high, and consequently insurance companies have suddenly increased their refusal to fulfill claims by their policyholders… Many insurance companies want to limit their liability….”

   Health plans and providers are under pressure to accommodate demands being made from health care consumers. Statistics demonstrate that patients want more communication from their doctors, including easy access to questions answered by email. But doctors have dragged their feet when it comes to providing accessibility in this way. Many intermediaries have intervened in the form of websites as sources of information, with inherent biases, that provide the opportunity for personal research into previously esoteric aspects of health care such as laboratory test results, second opinions and alternative options. A major attribute of this movement is the need to perceive value for services received. Consumers want to know where the most value can be had, which has driven pharmaceutical and insurance companies to entrench position in the marketplace deeper and deeper. Clever marketing tries to paint a picture of value even in the context of potentially serious, sometimes life threatening side effects.

   Research conducted into the emerging health care environment by Forrester Research, Inc. suggests that personalized medicine will force the creation of new and different models of health care delivery. Of importance is the idea of integrating myriad professional orientations while networking between these various providers with best outcome for patients. This idea, though, finds great resistance while established orthodoxy and big business try to maintain a hold on how health care is delivered and to whom under particular circumstances.

   The self directed health care consumer is one who refuses to accept the old balance of power in which insurance companies and doctors direct, often without full disclosure, the procedures and treatments recommended or applied. Speaking for myself, I very much respect self direction in choosing options to stay healthy. Value for the self directed patient or health care consumer centers on achieving goals within a reasonable time and without adverse side effects.

   The persistent downward trends in insurance and Medicare reimbursement are, again, challenging to the business of providing health care. I’ve said many times to my patients and friends: People don’t need “coverage”, they need care. I mean simple and straight forward, effective and reasonable, proven self and health care that saves money while rendering a positive, fast result. By the way, there’s a big difference between “alive and well” and suppressing symptoms with drugs (more on this later).