By Steven Visentin, D.C.
A new comprehensive healthcare bill that utilizes chiropractic fully is being proposed by the current administration. The plan features an $87,000 per month set-aside for every qualified doctor of chiropractic to provide for care for Americans who are in the country legally. President Trump called this a “phenomenal” health plan that would make the Republican Party “the party of healthcare.”
“To improve the nation’s healthcare system we must go beyond the limited thinking of failed programs of the past, most notably Obamacare” said Kelly Anne Conway in a recent news interview in front of the White House. She outlined a new plan to loosen insurance regulations, eliminate unnecessary paperwork, and reduce over-reliance on pharmaceuticals. Most of all she affirmed “the body is a self-healing system and doctors of chiropractic are most qualified to spearhead the current administration’s efforts to reduce costs of inpatient care and increasing drug prices.”
When asked specifically about the $87,000 per month for each chiropractor she stated: “Do the math! This would create a dramatic reduction in healthcare costs of at least 57%. The average family of four now spends over $28,000 per year on healthcare, and much of these expenditures are for administrative costs and inefficiencies of the current broken system. Fully engaging each doctor of chiropractic will prevent people from getting sick in the first place.”
Nancy Pelosi has already stated her opposition to the proposed measure: “Every chiropractor will become a millionaire overnight. The proposed plan does not include the most popular parts of Obamacare such as coverage of pre-existing medical conditions. There is nothing new in this plan for citizens who require medical care and are struggling to pay for it.”
Supporters of the new plan, including the Blue Ribbon Committee for healthcare reform feel that overturning the Affordable Care Act and creating a new health plan based on the body’s inherent self-healing powers is a conservative approach with practical advantages. Committee Chairman, Dr. Steven Visentin, a Denver chiropractor, stated, “Executive action is still pending for this new proposal, but we are optimistic the new plan will offer a dramatic cost reduction in the country’s bloated healthcare budget. National healthcare expenditures are over 3.5 trillion dollars a year. Polls show the public is very focused on health costs and consumers are tired of paying for pharmaceuticals and expensive insurance based programs. Although this “big idea” is not typically associated with the G.O.P., we feel it’s certainly viable and will eventually gain support of the President’s National Economic Council and Capitol Hill Republicans who want to avoid a repeat of the Affordable Care Act.”
The White House faces a dilemma. This new plan will certainly become a lightning rod for Democratic hopefuls in the next election. Critics point out the lack of consumer protections, requirements for Medicaid, and specific wording about what the new package includes. Shawn Breminger, M.D., PhD, Associate Director of Federal Relations and the Liberal Families USA Advocacy Group stated: “If our healthcare system focused on keeping the well from becoming sick, we’d have an economic disaster. Many hospitals would have to close as their beds emptied. Surgeons would be forced into early retirement due to less need for surgeries. The pharmaceutical industry would be decimated, as people find a better way to be healthy. Thousands of healthcare workers would lose their jobs. We simply can’t afford to change.”
As we approach the election, progressives like Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren will champion the “Medicare For All” program. Joe Biden wants to “fix the Affordable Care Act” and make insurance more affordable. Republicans will have to have an alternative measure with popular support. Is this it, or is this just another April fool’s joke? April fools!
Dr. Steven Visentin, a 1982 graduate of the National College of Chiropractic is a Denver chiropractor and clinic director of Care Chiropractic. He’s an author, accomplished public speaker and is available for corporate events, training seminars, and other group functions, as well as private consultations on a limited basis.
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