Cost of Change

So how was your year in 2009? Yes, your stock portfolio saw a nice rise after the crash of '08 but how was your income? Are you making a lot more now than you did before? For most industries last year was flat at best as the recession continues to drag on. What does this have to do with health care? I believe that change will come because it has to, we can't afford to keep the current system.

According to the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services health care costs increased 4.4% in 2008. Pricewaterhouse Cooper's Health Research Institute estimates costs increased 5.5% in 2009. We've got it much worse here in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area where estimates are the costs rose 12.3% in 2009 according to the most recent data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Given the state of the current economy our nation simply cannot afford to keep on the same health care path we've been going down for decades.

One option is Integrative Medicine with its focus on prevention instead of treatment. You might enjoy the new podcast featuring Dr. Eleanor Hynote, President/CEO of the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM). Podcast.