John Weeks: Non-Discrimination: A ‘Big Honking Lawsuit’ to Advance Integrative Medicine and Health?.
Two years ago, I was part of an invitational, strategic meeting of integrative medicine leaders that included an impromptu exploration. We considered the resistance of hospitals and insurers to embracing integrative medicine and health.
These institutions claim to be “patient-centered.” Yet they are slow to uptake the practices and disciplines associated with the popular movement for health-focused, whole person approaches.
Among us was an executive of a good-sized business. He was neither familiar with the discussion nor part of the healthcare industry. As a successful investor, he immediately recognized a key misalignment. The financial drivers in U.S. medicine to do more expensive procedures are a mismatch with high-touch, low-tech, human-centered integrative approaches.
