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Thursday, March 29, 2012

Tiered Health Care?

Having recently discovered my shadow, I have firmly sewed it to both  the soles of my feet and  my soul. I'm embracing my urge to look outside the box and consider systems that I believe could use some tweaking rather than continuing to quietly conform to them or "fly under the radar".  So when I saw yet another headline about Canada's Health care system and required efforts to keep it from becoming two-tiered, I decided to write about it! 

Canada prides itself on not differentiating between rich and poor when it comes to the delivery of health care and strives to prevent what it calls two tiers of health delivery- those that can afford to pay and those that can't. With subsidized care through tax dollars, everyone has equal access to the system. Hmm...

I think the system is already two tiered. The first tier is conventional health care.  You can access this everywhere no matter who you are. You can have multiple tests down on you for a range of reasons.  You can have lab work, x-rays, ultrasound, scopes, exploratory surgery done without paying a dime. You can try out multiple drugs to "see if they might work" to treat your symptoms, in most cases without paying anything near to the actual cost of the medications. They are subsidized.  You can stay in a hospital for days, even weeks, and walk out without paying a cent.  In fact, you have no idea what any of this might cost. No one asks you if you want those treatments tests and procedures- it's free why wouldn't you take advantage of everything there is to offer.  You never see a bill, an itemized invoice, a detailed account of what you've used and how much it cost. The government (tax payers) paid for it. Aren't we lucky.  Maybe...

There is a second tier of health care in Canada in my opinion.  It's alternative health care.  To access this type of care you have to be able to really dig around. You need to talk to people that have used this system.  You have to be pretty open to trying something different. You have to do some research and consider some different ways of looking at health and disease.  You won't find ads for this type of health care on radio and T.V.  You won't be told how or when you should access this level. You'll have to look for it.  In fact, you will find opposition to this level of health care. You may have to move past the fear and anxiety of this tier of health care that many people, and the conventional system, holds on to.

Alternative practitioners don't often even advertise their services. To get to them you might have to go to private houses or small clinics instead of centrally located, easily accessed facilities. In most cases you will see a itemized bill and you will have to pay. This type of health care is not government subsidized. Much of it isn't even covered with additional health insurance plans although you might be able to claim a few services. The fees most of these practitioners charge are actually pretty reasonable and they make no where near the salaries of conventional health care practitioners. That is often why they can't afford, and perhaps don't need,  big overheads for office buildings, receptionists, intake workers, or triage personnel. But the cost can be pretty prohibitive and surprising if you're used to walking out without paying a dime. It comes out of your pocket, not out of your taxes. My shadow gets pretty ticked about that.  I pay into a system I don't access very often and I do access a system the government doesn't support.

I don't want tiered health care. I want to be able to access the system I pay into but have it support my needs better.  I want the system to change just a bit to accommodate me rather than me having to work around a system.

 If I get in a car crash, or break an arm or a leg, I want to be able to call 911 and have trained personnel come and transport me to a medical facility. I want that x-ray, maybe that ultrasound to figure out where I'm hurt and what  my body needs to heal. But I want Rescue Remedy before I get any of that and it would be nice if Paramedics gave me some of that instead of me having to dig through my back pack to get it while I'm spinally imbolizied and not thinking straight. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2012/03/bach-flowers-for-crisis-events.html Before they move me onto an examining table, I'd like to take a few more sprays and not have to sneak it, or have it taken away from me with my other belongings.  I would like to choose Homeopathic remedies like Arnica  http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/10/crushed-fingers-homeopathics.html instead of the painkillers. If there is a risk of tetanus, I'd like the nosode instead of the needle vaccine. I'd also like a healthy drink of colloidal silver because lets face it, I've probably hurt my immune system and the guy beside me in the waiting room for sure has a nasty virus. We might both benefit from watching some quantum healing videos http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/11/quantum-k-free-healing-experience.html while we share that waiting room. There might  be some bacteria on the floor of this facility that I could use some protection from. It would be nice if I didn't have to wait till I got home to dip into my own supply of colloidal silver or have someone "sneak it in" to me. http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/11/colloidal-silver-for-colds-flu.html I don't mind if the person beside me takes the vaccine and the pain killers and the antibiotics. But I'd like to be given a choice. I'd like to have my bones set and casted by a professional but I'd like to be given Symphytum once that's done.  I think I'll heal quicker and I might be able to bypass expensive long term repeat visits. I'd like to walk out without a bill and I'd like to save the system some money as well!! Imagine!!

I'd like to be treated by a professional who could recommend the best treatment for me and my condition. I'd like to be in on the discussion. I don't want to be treated like "everyone who has this injury" because I actually think I have some individual characteristics.  I know I'll lose some cognitive thought in the trauma of an injury or illness but I'd like a professional that works with me and helps me understand how complimentary medicine might be to my advantage. If I have problems afterwards, I would like to able to decide if Bowen http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2011/01/bowen-therapy-for-neck-pain.html, or massage, might get me back to balance. I suspect a couple of treatments might be all I need.

Today's picture is of the medical caduceus. I've had this symbol on the arm of many a uniform sleeve for a lot of years. But today I see the shadow in the picture and I wonder what might be out there that I don't even know about. Who knows what wonderful therapies we might discover if this second tier of health could be allowed equal footing, dollars, research and support.  I look at the twisted snake and I see what looks suspiciously like my pendulum.  What if we used some kinesology http://pixiedusthealing.blogspot.ca/2010/10/kinesiologymuscle-testing.html  to identify what people needed rather than treating everyone the same according to some generic protocol.  There might be some savings there. There are 7 gaps in the intertwining body of that snake. I wonder if that's the chakras wanting some attention for healing? The caduceus is a two headed snake.  That suggests to me, two brains coming together in one body.  That's complimentary health care. And both those heads and brains are on one level. In direct contrast to the grounded nature of a snake, the caduceus also has wings.  To me, that symbolizes using both grounded theories and divine knowing to find true healing.

That's one tier health care.

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