The Bottom Line of Alternative Medicine

The High Cost of Alternative Medicine

$47 billion dollars were spent this last year of alternative medicine. In fact, more people went t to alternative therapist than their own medical doctors. Why is alternative care growing so rapidly. The primary reason is the bottom line -- money. The average office visit costs in excess of $100 while specialist visits can cost as much as twice this amount. 41 million people in this country have no health insurance and the lower costs of alternative therapy affords them an attractive choice.

Individuals are not the only one's wanting to save money on health costs. Hospitals and clinics are needing to trim their budgets as well. With angioplasty costing upwards of $18,000 and heart by-pass surgeries nearing $100,000, low cost therapies seem like a reasonable option. Some health care providers find them as effective for treating chronic conditions such as migraines and lower back pain and less expensive than drug therapy or surgery.

Insurance companies are jumping on the band wagon of alternative care as well. Even with rising deductibles and higher co-pays, they are spending much more money to provide their clients with medical care. An increasing number of insurers are providing coverage for non-traditional treatment.

Right now, our country is facing a dilemma in health care. both the U. S. Congress and the Senate are frantically attempting to draft a health care bill that they hope will solve our nation's health care crisis. In response to the challenge of cutting costs, Congress has formed the Office of Alternative Medicine to encourage the research, development and use of alternative medicine.

The bottom line is that our entire medical system has become engulfed in a financial crisis and has bowed to the god of alternative medicine hoping that it will fix our problems. Our job as Christians is to inform and educate our families, friends, health care professionals and congressional representatives and senators about the ineffectiveness of alternative care as well as the spiritual dangers associated with it. As Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid".