Destiny N Patel Phd

Break the Health Insurance Habit Destiny N Patel Phd

This book takes a realistic look at the role of health insurance in today's society. It argues that individual citizens need to change the current health care trajectory of higher and higher out of pocket health insurance and healthcare costs, along with more and more "managed care." The author argues further that today's managed care model for health insurance is more like 1984 Big Brother operations rather than the American democracy of old because it robs insureds of privacy and self-determination rights once considered sacrosanct, limits insureds' control of the kind and amount of health care they can access, and redirects private and public funds into the coffers of those whose sole purpose is to enrich their shareholders. As such, today's health insurance model has turned the original idea of health insurance as a social good on its head. Given that today's model for the delivery and payment of health care is on a quest for ever-increasing profits, increasing out of pocket expenditures will likely continue to coexists with decreasing access to quality health care. Moreover, the trend of decreasing amounts and kinds of care authorized and paid for by third-party payers is also likely to continue. Instead of paying third party payers to allocate the kind and quality of health care they can have, readers are urged to take back control of their healthcare by withdrawing from conventional health insurance plans and engaging in self-care that focuses on optimizing health and longevity. The author also sketches out a viable telehealth approach to health care delivery that supports patients in safely retaking personal freedom, control, and responsibility for their health while utilizing a less costly and much more affordable self care, healthcare model.