There is a war on in America over the future of health care. It is, without doubt, a classic battle between good and evil.
Opinion by Consumer Advocate Tim Bolen
Simply spoken, The forces of “Health” are determined to change the system to fit the needs of a modern day America.. The forces of “Medicine” are determined, at any cost, to maintain the status quo. There are several battles raging. One of those is in Connecticut.
The “status quo” (Medicine) is killing, and maiming, Americans. The cost of maintaining that “status quo” is too high. According to a revealing new study I have on my desk, a compilation of recent government studies, called “Death by Medicine,” conventional health care (“Medicine”), used in the “accepted” manner is now the number one killer of Americans. And number two (heart disease), and number three (cancer)…
This is horrible.
The population of the US is 294,116,135. The population of Connecticut is 3,460,503. Connecticut holds 1.1767% of the US population. The numbers below, for Connecticut, are extrapolated from that percentage to show the seriousness of the problem locally.
According to the “Death by Medicine,” study, 2,036,884 Americans (23,968 in Connecticut) die UNNECESSARILY each year, due to the policies and procedures of “accepted” medical care. The number of people “harmed” by “accepted” medical care is estimated at 20 times the death number. The “status quo”in health care is definitely harming America. And NOTHING is being done about it.
That’s right – NOTHING…
The “Death by Medicine” study introduction says:
“It is evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the United States. The total number of iatrogenic deaths shown … is 783,936 (9,224 in Connecticut). The 2001 heart disease annual death rate is 699,697 (8,233 in Connecticut); the annual cancer death rate, 553,251(6,570 in Connecticut).”
The number of people having in-hospital, adverse drug reactions (ADR) to prescribed medicine is 2.2 million (25,887 in Connecticut). Dr. Richard Besser, of the CDC, in 1995, said the number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections was 20 million (235,340 in Connecticut). Dr. Besser, in 2003, now refers to tens of millions of unnecessary antibiotics.
The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million (88,252 in Connecticut). The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million (104,726 in Connecticut)”
Irresponsible Public Agencies…
The agencies that “we the people” put in place to deal with these issues, the U. S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), and individual State Medical Examining boards are NOT LOOKING at these problems. Not one State has a plan in place to reverse the “Death by Medicine,” numbers.
In fact, I can’t find even ONE State that is even studying the problem, much less making plans.
Why? It’s all about money. Huge amounts of money. The “status quo” is EXTREMELY PROFITABLE for hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry.
The State of Connecticut Department of Health (DPH), the organization that regulates licensed health professionals within Connecticut, is part of the “status quo”system in health care. In that role, they have chosen NOT to do anything about, or even investigate, the problems discussed in the “Death by Medicine” study as it relates to Connecticut.
So let’s recap Connecticut’s extrapolated numbers once again. According to the national data, using Connecticut’s percentage of the US population, the DPH is ignoring the unnecessary deaths of 23,968 of its citizens each year, 9,224 of those from hospital screw-ups, 8,233 from heart disease, and 6,570 from cancer. They are also, by their inaction, condoning 88,252 unnecessary surgeries, and 104,726 unnecessary hospitalizations. And, they ignoring 25,887 adverse drug reactions, and 235,340 unnecessary prescriptions for antibiotics. All total, Connecticut DPH is ignoring the serious health problems, each year, of 478,173 of its citizens. Hmmmm….
You’ve got to wonder what DPH is doing with its time…
Well, I’ll tell you. Instead of dealing with these important issues, the DPH is acting to protect the “status quo” in health care and are using their powers, those delegated to them by the people of Connecticut, to attack those health professionals who are trying to solve those problems of health care.
Dr. Robban Sica, a Connecticut MD, is one of the thousands of doctors, nationwide, who have stepped out of the “conventional” medical system – in order to provide up-to-date, realistic health care, for her patients. Dr. Sica provides life solutions – and that’s where the problems begin.
The State of Connecticut Department of Health has begun a procedure to take Dr. Sica’s license to practice medicine away from her because she has stepped out of the “status quo” of health care, the conventional medical paradigm. Sica, among other things, uses chelation therapy in her practice. Chelation therapy is used, worldwide, primarily to remove heavy metals. It has been found, scientifically, to be of benefit to heart disease, and those with heart problems. There is an organized, well funded (by the pharmaceutical industry), campaign, nationwide to stamp out innovative or non “status quo” health offerings.
Simply, the “status quo” promoters allow no innovation that doesn’t come from a drug company. That policy is simply not in tune with reality.
For instance: The US National Institute of Health (NIH), last year, was so impressed with initial studies of chelation therapy as a heart disease therapy, that they funded a five-year 28 million dollar study at the University of Florida. Heart disease, by itself, is the number two killer of Americans. 699,697 Americans succumb to this problem each year. Chelation therapists, like Dr. Sica, and patients involved with chelation therapy across the U.S., know that “you don’t have to be one of those death statistics.”
So, why would the Connecticut DPH be blocking Chelation Therapy, and other Health Innovations?
Good question – and one I ask not only of Connecticut, but of Medical Examining Boards and their staffs, all across America. The answer is simple, and is in three parts –
(1) big pharma’s well funded “quackbuster” conspiracy, a program to stamp out competition to “drugs,” is at work. Chelation therapy, used for heart disease, cuts HEAVILY, two ways, into (a) the pharmaceutical industry’s “drug” solutions for heart problems, and (b) once patients learn there are non-drug options that work better, are more cost effective, and have no side effects for any one condition, they look for non-drug solutions in other areas of their personal health – a disaster for the drug world.
Big Pharma’s “quackbuster” conspiracy is being run out of a New York ad agency. How the conspiracy works can be found by reading an earlier article I wrote called Who are these so-called “Quackbusters”?… There, you’ll find out how Big Pharma affects decisions at the State level.
(2) The “status quo” system of health care has an archaic approval process which, in reality, means that a consumer reliant on Medicare is going to get health services no newer than fifteen years old. A consumer reliant on Health Insurance is going to get health services no newer than ten years old. The system shuns innovation, and in a sense, almost criminalizes it. A totally un-American way of thinking.
(3) Connecticut DPH , like many States, has never taken the time to establish policies, and procedures, to deal with health care in general, much less innovation. The US Supreme Court has held consistently that “Rules and Regulations must be made available.” Connecticut DPH, like many States, has adopted the “lazy” way of establishing health policies – by prosecuting something a DPH employee doesn’t personally approve of, thereby establishing policy by Administrative Court action – rather than the more difficult “public approval” means. Even more of a problem is that these employees were very likely propagandized, through “Training Meetings” organized and conducted by members of the Big Pharma funded “quackbuster conspiracy.”
I’ve organized campaigns all over North America – and these campaigns always work for the simple reason that Americans have a right to tell their government what they want – and expect them to comply. It’s not a novel idea. It’s called “We the People…” and the basic idea was formed in the first paragraph of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Nothing has changed.
I appreciate your support and I’m looking forward to fighting this battle to protect your right to choose the type of healthcare you want…
Stay tuned…
Tim Bolen – Consumer Advocate