Health Care vs. Sick Care

Do you know the difference?

In this country we have a "health care" crisis. We spend more money per person than any other country on medical treatment, yet the World Heath Organization ranks us 37th in "health care" performance.

The problem is that we don't have a "health care" system. We have a "sick care" system. Our entire system is geared towards illness. And, you don't get health from focusing on illness. So, what is the difference?

Health care is anything that promotes and brings your body toward better function - proactive activities before illness and injury. Sick care, on the other hand, focuses on removing symptoms - treatment after something has gone wrong. In most cases, it does nothing to restore or promote health. Health care is proactive. Sick care is reactive. Even sick care's idea of prevention is really just early detection. Does a mammogram prevent breast cancer? No, it just detects it. Does cholesterol screening prevent high cholesterol? Health care would focus on what you needed to do to prevent breast cancer or high cholesterol - not just detection and treatment.

Sick care starts with the premise that the body is flawed and needs artificial, external help. Health care begins with the idea that you are born to be healthy and that, given the right tools, your body will do its job.

Sometimes you may need help. We all get sick and/or have symptoms from time to time. But health care focuses on how to get your body to function well enough to deal with those episodes properly. Sick care assumes that you will not get better on your own. That your body doesn't know what it's doing. Sick care claims that you can't get well without outside help or at least not as fast. Health care believes that you can.

Do you want sick care or health care?