The ColoHealth Health & Wealth Newsletter
July 2024
Vol. 14, Issue 10

Our Healthcare Freedom is Under Attack

As Americans, we pride ourselves on our ability to make our own choices.

As citizens, we are all given certain rights and protections. We live in a country that allows us to speak freely and worship as we choose. And historically, we have a clear right to make decisions for ourselves regarding our own personal health care.

But over the last few years, we’ve seen some credible threats to our healthcare freedom. The COVID years brought many of these threats out into the open.

For example, federal and state vaccine mandates challenged our right to medical privacy and bodily autonomy.

And when some doctors questioned the official information being provided by the government, or presented alternative points of view, states like California attempted to place unconstitutional gag orders on them, prohibiting them from providing frank, unbiased information to their patients.

Big business and corporate interests also weighed in to inhibit the frank exchange of information between doctors and their patients. Many doctors and nurses were fired, or driven out of the medical field completely for voicing their opposing views.

Colorado wasn’t above these issues. Many healthcare workers in the state lost their jobs at the time standing up for their own medical freedom.

Twitter also issued a permanent suspension of journalist Alex Berenson after he posted that the vaccine didn’t stop infection or transmission.

They also throttled a Tweet from Harvard epidemiologist Martin Kulldorf, for writing, “thinking that everybody needs to be vaccinated is as scientifically flawed as thinking that nobody should. COVID vaccines are important for older high-risk people, and their caretakers. Those with prior natural infection do not need it, nor do children.”

Twitter prevented readers from “liking” or “sharing” his comment, thereby drastically quashing its reach.

As it turns out, many of the treatments these doctors were advocating for are very helpful!

There were, in fact, serious problems with the vaccines. And we now know that both Berenson and Kulldorf were correct.

But Twitter alone suspended some 11,000 accounts under its COVID misinformation policy. And we also now know that the attempts to censor dissenting points of view have origins in the White House itself.

Your right to health care freedom, including free access to information, is under the most significant and widespread assault in decades, from a combination of government, media, and corporatist interests!

Current Significant Threats To Healthcare Freedom

You must be vigilant against threats to your healthcare freedom coming from multiple vectors:

Government

Government healthcare plans may limit your choices of doctors and insurance, and may not cover non-traditional or alternative forms of treatment.
New laws may not protect your medical privacy, or might make it harder to share your health data.
Mandates to take specific medical treatments violate your right to bodily autonomy and informed consent – rights that were clearly established during the Nuremberg trials after World War II.

Censorship and Propaganda

Unconstitutional censorship efforts may impede your ability to get accurate medical information, or hear opposing views.
Corporate sponsorship may influence news reporting (pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars advertising in the U.S.). the
Doctors may feel reluctant to offer honest advice if they think it could negatively affect their employment or their medical license.

Take Action

At ColoHealth, we value your freedom and privacy.

We want you to be in charge of your own healthcare decisions. Like, really in charge, and not held captive to or manipulated by unseen government and big business.

We know you want your medical records to be kept secret, and you want to have more provider and treatment choices.

Here are some things you can do to maintain your rights:

1. Utilize Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)

Maximize Usage: HSA’s provide a way for individuals to save for future healthcare costs and maintain control over their healthcare spending. Support legislative efforts that allow more Americans to save with fewer restrictions in HSAs so there is more choice in how and where to spend healthcare dollars.

2. Access Direct Primary Care (DPC)

Learn More About DPC: Direct Primary Care offers a patient-centered approach that bypasses traditional insurance. This model allows patients to pay a flat monthly fee for access to their primary care provider, allowing for a better doctor-patient relationship.

3. Consider Health Sharing

Research the Pros and Cons: Health sharing is not traditional insurance but can be a cost-effective way for like-minded individuals to share healthcare expenses. These plans may lack certain protections offered by traditional insurance, but often allow for more freedom and flexibility in providers and treatment options.

And they’re available at 40 or 50% less per month than unsubsidized traditional health insurance premiums.

4. Advocate for Legislative Changes

Support Laws that Enhance Patient Choice: Engage in advocacy to support laws that reduce government and insurance company interference in healthcare decisions. This includes supporting legislation that protects the rights of patients to access innovative treatments and choose their own healthcare providers.

5. Demand Privacy Protections

Strengthen HIPAA and Related Laws: Advocate for robust enforcement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other privacy laws that protect personal health information. Support amendments that close gaps in these laws, ensuring that patient data is secure and only shared with consent.

6. Support Free Speech

Protect Freedom of Expression: Advocate for the rights of doctors and medical providers, and anyone else, to express ideas and opinions without government interference or censorship. People should be able to hear all perspectives, and consider all the options.

7. Promote Innovative Healthcare Solutions

Encourage Technological Innovations: Support developing and usingthe development and use of technologies that enhance healthcare delivery while protecting patient privacy. This includes telemedicine, personalized medicine, and blockchain solutions that secure health data.

8. Vote and Encourage Others to Vote

Engage in Important Politics: Encourage voting for candidates who prioritize healthcare freedom and privacy. Political engagement can significantly influence healthcare policies and the protection of patient rights.

We all deserve an American healthcare system that respects patient autonomy, protects privacy, and provides flexible, patient-centered care options. And we all have more power to make it happen, than we may think.

Healthcare Freedom for All

The more freedom and flexibility we have in our own healthcare choices, the better.

It’s important to be aware of efforts to take that freedom away from us, and to take steps to maintain as much personal autonomy as possible.

DCPs, HSAs, and health sharing plans are a few great options that give you more personal choice and flexibility. But most of all, we need to exercise our right to make our own healthcare decisions, with access to any information or opinions, and without coercion.

To Your Health and Wealth,

signature-wiley

Wiley P. Long III
President- ColoHealth

The ColoHealth Health & Wealth Newsletter is published monthly and emailed to subscribers at no charge. Subscribe now to stay on top of the critical information you need to know about health insurance, healthshare plans and managing your finances to achieve financial security.