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This is my first experience with this format so forgive any errors and please let me know if you have problems by e-mailing me at SDBenjaminMD@aol.com A. Should we have Universal Health Insurance? Is there any question? We are the wealthiest country in the world. we build bridges to no where for hundreds of millions and we have nearly 40 million hard working American citizens and 8 million children with NO health care coverage. In 2005 more than HALF of the bankruptcies in this country were the result of health care debt.My friends, no matter if you are on the right or left politically, this is BARBARIC! The issue is NOT whether we should have universal coverage but HOW. Should it be federal and/ or state administered or should we have hybrids that keep insurance companies alive as intermediaries such as in Massachusetts. (The cost of the administration of health care may be as high as 40% of the health care bill in this country which itself will soon reach 20% of the GDP. This is NOT acceptable.)Can private companies become more competitive and cut admin. costs? Some say that the federally administered systems run with less overhead such as in Canada.( Hmmmmm! Can the same U.S. gov't that buys hammers for hundreds of dollars suddenly become a tight fisted administrator of health care? Do we want to dump insurance companies? No, but they need to cut the fat. Rather than have them always breathing down the necks of docs, they need to look inward.) The next issue is that if we do not change the basic structure of how medicine is delivered it will make NO difference whatever else we do! It's time to: 1. pay docs for keeping you well! 2. pay docs for spending time with you 3. pay LESS to docs who reap profits from surgeries and procedures that have not been proven with scientific data (that would be MOST of the surgeries, procedures and business of medicine that we have today). 4. support more programs for well being like nutrition, exercise and mind/body activities 5. DEAL WITH THE ENVIRONMENT!!!!!!!!! The present administration has done essentially NOTHING to make the air you breathe, the food you eat, the water you drink and the materials we use for energy, cosmetics, construction, etc.- safe. If you do all of the above but leave the environment to the whims of commerce alone, then we are in BIG trouble. 6. Support research that really makes a difference. Pharmaceutical companies have developed little that actually makes a real contribution to health. Most are "me too" drugs ( copies of other drugs so that each company does not lose "market share") Genetics, nanotechnology and stem cell research are key. This is really hard with a president that is still not sure if evolution actually happened! Yikes! The Lord gave us science AND prayer. Let's embrace them both. 7. People need financial and emotional incentives to take more responsibility for their care. They also need the tools to learn more about how to do this. Smoking 2 packs a day and then expecting the system to cure your lung cancer and heart disease and to do it for free may not be what is in store in the future. B. Practice info. 1. Yes, I am currently doing facelifts (facial rejuvenation) with acupuncture. You can read more about it on my website or e-mail me at SDBenjaminMD@aol.com if you want me to call you to discuss it. 2. At the request of many of my patients I will be beginning an annual flat rate program.The fee is $2,500 annually per patient which includes all acupuncture and visits for the full 12 months after sign up. This does not include cosmetic acupuncture (facelifts) which are discounted 20% to annual fee patients. |
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