"Escape Fire" The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare

On Friday I attended a viewing of the documentary film "Escape Fire" sponsored  by the California Endowment.  This powerful movie vividly shows the plight of America's health care system and lays out some solutions.  The movie lists the disturbing facts such as our system is the most expensive per capita of any country but has relatively poor results.  It showed a discouraged health care provider quiting her job in a clinic where productivity was more important than quality and out comes.  It also followed some sick people who were not being helped by the multiple procedures that cost thousands of dollars. 

One soldier coming home from Afghanistan was physically handicapped and an emotional wreck suffering PTSD and more taking dozens of pills per day leading to pain medication addiction.  It also showed the problem with obesity leading to diabetes and heart problems in other patients.

The problems were identified as a system that encourages procedures but not good care.  For doctors to make a living they need to order multiple tests and procedures.  They are not paid adequately for spending time with patients and managing their care well.  Another problem is that care is not coordinated and many errors are made when various doctors order procedures, surgeries, and medications.  "When medicine became a business, we lost our moral compus."

Without good primary health care, patients end up in the emergency room where more procedures and medications are prescribed with poor followup.

The federal government does not reward farmers for producing health food.  We have corn price supports but none for carrots or broccoli.  Also, the advertisement of medications on television and print media has led to over subscription of costly and dangerous medications.  The F.D.A. is not doing a good job of monitoring these drugs.  They are pressured by lobbyists.

Some progress has been made in the passing of the Patients' Bill of Rights" and reforms in the new health care laws, however, insurance and drug companies will be working to undermine these changes.

The film said that the military health system is a disaster.  Soldiers are coming home with enormous problems that the system is not prepared to manage effectively.

Dean Ornish, M.D., and his work is highlighted in the film.  He and others are promoting paying more for good primary health care providers to effectively manage health care to insure a coordinated and holistic approach including diet, exercise, yoga, acupuncture, and other approaches to encourage healthy life styles:  More Touch, Less Tech.