Consciousness-Based Education - Maharishi University of ...

Harnessing the laws of nature—maximum success to governmentcriterion for inclusion of coverage (namely, publication in peer-reviewedscientific journals), it keeps the debate over treatment modalities out ofthe political realm, and away from lobbyists’ pressures, and within thescientific, medical realm where such debate belongs.Moreover, by promising coverage for cost-effective preventive andother nonallopathic treatment modalities, such legislation will stimulatea broad investment in medical research on prevention-orientedprograms, in contrast to the current exclusive research focus on programsthat are disease-care oriented.The application of effective prevention and alternative treatmentmodalities is only cost-effective to the extent that citizens take advantageof such programs. Such public participation can be ensured by:(a) Education. The public must be informed of the great health benefits,increased longevity, and improved quality of life made possiblethrough such programs.(b) Reimbursement. To ensure that such preventative, herbal, andother natural treatment modalities are within reach of all citizens, coveragefor such programs should be provided within the governmenthealth care programs. We have shown that legislation can easily bedrafted to ensure that such coverage leads to improved health andreduced medical costs. The government’s leadership in this vital areawill quickly lead to the adoption of similar preventive provisions withinthe private sector.(c) Incentives. In many countries, health-care financing policiesencourage overuse, and discourage efficient use, of health-care services.Specifically, by providing blanket coverage for medical procedures,these policies encourage doctors, hospitals, and other medicalproviders to prescribe tests and procedures that are medically unwarrantedand which expose patients to unnecessary risks and side-effects.In contrast, certain financial mechanisms, including “medical savingsaccounts” and “vouchers,” provide significant medical savings by offeringfinancial rewards for good health and for efficient use of medicalservices. Medical savings accounts allow subscribers to retain some ofthe savings that result from reduced use of medical services—therebyencouraging more prudent use of such services and incentivizing subscribersto take advantage of programs that can improve their health.Vouchers enable Medicare, Medicaid, and similar public sector sub-191