Prevention Is A Naughty Word In Healthcare

I consider myself to be fairly intelligent and well educated, but I need something explained to me. I cannot for the life of me figure out why everything in this country related to healthcare seems to be backwards.

I had a few questions about what could be reimbursed for my Healthcare Spending Account, so I called to find out the answers.  I was told that I could be reimbursed for over the counter medicine like cough syrup and Tylenol, but not vitamins or supplements.  "Basically anything that's not preventative," were the exact words of the representative.

So let me get this straight.  If I'm trying to prevent myself from getting sick I can't get my money back.  But once I am sick I can get reimbursed for buying drugs.  It's like I'm being rewarded for covering up the symptoms by body is giving me to tell me something is wrong.  And we wonder why we spend gazillions of dollars on health care.

This kind of thinking leaves me dumbfounded, and although I'd like to be optimistic I don't see it getting better any time soon.  Do you know that in some countries that practice "Eastern Medicine," the practitioner doesn't get paid if you get sick.  That means he or she has a vested interest in keeping the patient healthy.  That makes much more sense to me, unlike in this country where doctors don't make any money if the patient stays well.

I plan to continue exploring "alternative" health options, even if I have to pay for them out of pocket and don't get a refund from my health spending account.  I may not get my money reimbursed, but I will continue to be proactive rather than reactive with my health.  Maybe if enough of us start to feel this way it will make a difference.  I can only hope.