#21 – HOW CAN INDIA RESCUE OUR HEALTHCARE BUDGET IN THE USA?

IDEAS TO MAKE THE WORLD MORE BEAUTIFUL

Reporting Live, it is your favorite forward-thinking research scientist! In the last few articles?(see link here), we discussed how the globalization of Medicare poses many benefits; we also talked about how a bold policy initiative led by Oregon to address the needs of complex care patients could really shift the paradigm on how we perceive holistic medicine and how we use it to bridge the gaps of our current health system.

In the last article, we introduced how India and some of its Ashrams could be a great intervention in piloting how we approach caring for complex care needs patients. This is especially relevant in cases where the complex conditions are more rooted in lifestyle diseases.

On a related note, if you are not familiar with Ashrams, here is a good link for you to learn more.

Here are some points to consider:

1. We would need to conduct background research to find out existing programs at Ashrams for local Indians that are intense and effective and have evidence of success.
2. The primary target audience for this intervention are individuals who can afford to be away for 6-8 weeks. Most likely that they would be retired or have the family support to step away from their financial responsibilities.
3. The primary target audience still need to be in a stable enough condition to be able to make the journey to the Ashram in India. Ideally, we would use some form of predictive modeling to identify individuals whose health would further deteriorate in the next 5 years without some form of intervention.
4. Finally, holistic medicine is not a rejection of the way in which we currently treat diseases. I believe one of the most important considerations is whether the Ashram is equipped to continue to provide care in the way that the patient has been used to, in the United States, and rely on the same medications. The idea is that with the lifestyle changes and exposure to more holistic treatment, that a balance would be struck over time. For example, in the case of a diabetic, the reliance on Insulin might be reduced or even reversed over the course of the stay at the Ashram.
5. Finally, it is important to note that the overall concept being proposed is not completely novel. For quite some years, people with the means in the Western world, have been seeking out support at various Ashrams, for their ailments with positive results. The goal of this intervention would be to target resources in a way to achieve the same positive results for people who cannot afford to do so for themselves. And in doing so, save the health system a lot of money in the long run by ameliorating their complex care conditions.

Thank you so much for being part of this blog. I look forward to the next one, till then, I wish you Love and Light!

Ashima Khanna, MPH Faraz Siddiqui Mariana Socal Ian Saldanha Ju Nyeong Park Angela E. Lee-Winn José Flores, MD PhD Deidre Defoe, MD, MPH, ABPM Ya Luan Hsiao Mervyn C.