There are currently places in the
world where large hospitals, medical clinics and retreat centers are able to
offer multi-disciplinary anthroposophic care (Italy, Germany, Switzerland,
Sweden), but the current medical model and insurance programs in the U.S. do
not make this possible. This is a challenging moral quandary, as
participation in insurance plans immediately creates oversight and rigid
expectations around the kind of medical care that is being provided.
Services must meet the “standard of care,” or practitioners face
severe scrutiny, as well as potential punitive limits on medical practice and
monetary fines. For these reasons we continue to make the decision that
it is better to remain outside of the insurance system, recognizing that it is
limiting access but it also allows us to provide a fully individualized,
holistic approach to the healing process.
We would like to try to take one step towards healing that conflict.
New for this coming year we are introducing an integrative “care
package,” which is meant to provide in-depth support for individuals who
are experiencing or have experienced a significant illness. Working
through the healing process takes time, so the care package will include:
- Five visits with Dr. Blanning over a 4-6 month span
(usually three one hour visits, and two 30 minute follow-up visits) - Twelve rhythmical massage or anthroposophic nursing
treatments with Dona Totten RN, also over a 4-6 month span. These
would be divided into two, six session courses, with a break in between
them. Treatments will be customized for each individual situation. - A 15% discount on all in-stock remedies during the
treatment course. - A savings of approximately 15% on medical
visits and massage/nursing treatments when they are purchased together as
a package.
The cost of the
care package for 2015 is $1200. This is designed with several aspects in
mind:
- One great hope of this initiative is that when
someone becomes ill a community of friends, neighbors, and/or colleagues
can come together and contribute to provide this care for someone, as we
are usually least able to afford this kind of care when we are ill or
incapacitated. - This can be accomplished by twelve people each
contributing $100, or twenty-four people contributing $50. - It is also possible for one person to give the whole
package of support to another person, privately or anonymously. - It is also possible for those who have a health
saving account to budget $100+ a month towards this care, which is taken
out pre-tax. For more information about establishing a health
savings account visit: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p969/ar02.html - Full payment (or a contractual payment plan) needs
to be made at the beginning of the treatment course to qualify for the
discounted package. - We believe this can offer important possibilities
for people who are: - Undergoing treatment for cancer, including recovery
from chemotherapy - Severe depression or anxiety
- Chronic digestive illnesses
- Recovery from surgery, injury, or trauma
- Children with developmental or behavior challenges.
- The package does not include the costs of remedies
or other medications (which will necessarily be different for different
situations).
We are hopeful that if
there is good interest and participation in this program, in time, communal
conversation can begin, looking at establishing a non-profit organization that
can support this kind of collective care.
