Consciousness-Based Education - Maharishi University of ...

consciousness-based education and governmentMeditation meditators in Sweden than for the population as a whole(Suurküa, 1989).Cost-Benefit Analysis of Health Care Savings Through theTranscendental Meditation Program—Example: The Washington, D.C., Medicaid ProgramThe following analyses provide an example of the large savings thatwould accrue if the Transcendental Meditation program were implementedin the treatment of hypertensive patients and high-cost healthcare utilizers. Using the Medicaid program of the District of Columbiaas an example, these analyses show that the Transcendental Meditationprogram would greatly reduce the burden on the health care system.Analysis 1: Reduction of Hypertension and Prevention ofHeart Disease and StrokeAccording to population-based estimates, approximately 26,000 Medicaidrecipients in Washington, D.C., are diagnosed hypertensives.We estimate that average medical expenses for these individuals areabout $1000 per year for medicines, doctor visits, and hospital costs.Thus, Medicaid in Washington, D.C., pays $26 million per year for thecare of hypertension alone. Since the majority of people with hypertensionhave mild hypertension (80%–90%), and since research hasshown that Transcendental Meditation by itself is capable of correctingmild hypertension, the Transcendental Meditation program couldpotentially lower the blood pressure to normal levels in at least 80% ofthe hypertensive patients. Therefore, the Washington, D.C. Medicaidsystem could save at least $21 million per year if these hypertensivepatients were to begin the Transcendental Meditation technique. Ifonly 50% of these patients began Transcendental Meditation, then thesavings would be $10.5 million.Furthermore, over a four- to five-year period, since the TranscendentalMeditation program reduces blood pressure without side effects,we would expect substantial reductions in the incidence of heart attacksand strokes, which could save the District additional millions of dollarsin acute medical care costs. We would also expect that the preventionof such disabling diseases would result in significant savings in productivityand human quality of life costs.376