Back in March 2020, I grew gravely concerned about our public health experts’ hysterical overreaction to the “novel” coronavirus. I predicted that their months-long, almost-complete lockdown of our floundering healthcare system would turn into a huge, tragic, short-sighted mistake for many Americans.
And now, new research suggests that this draconian response to the virus did indeed take a tremendous toll on American health and well-being.
Millions of Americans continue to struggle
For a new study published in JAMA, researchers analyzed medical records for more than five million Americans with private health insurance during the spring of 2020.
As you might expect, overall healthcare visits declined by 23 percent in March and by 52 percent in April 2020. And, more specifically, there was a:
- 72 percent reduction in colonoscopies (for people between the ages of 46 to 64)
- 67 percent reduction in mammograms (for women ages 46 to 64)
- 51 percent reduction in HbA1c testing (which doctors use to assess long-term blood sugar control in people with Type II diabetes)
- 60 percent reduction in cataract surgery
- 45 percent drop in MRIs
Of course, as I’ve stated before, the temporary disruption to the country’s “routine” screenings for colon and breast cancer did have one positive effect: It briefly curtailed the problem of finding “fake cancers.”
(Remember, overly aggressive and inappropriate routine screenings often turn up small lesions of questionable cells that I call “fake” cancers. This overdiagnosis leads to all kinds of unnecessary harms, costs, and worries. Including toxic, medieval treatments that cause secondary, often untreatable cancers. But the sad truth is, those “fake” cancers would not have harmed the patients or shortened their lives in the first place!)
Unfortunately, the shutdown also delayed the detection and treatment of real, aggressive cancers. And remember, real cancers, especially when left undetected and untreated, have a far greater fatality rate than COVID-19 (which perhaps has a 1 percent fatality rate right now and will probably turn out to be a lot lower when all the numbers are in.)
Shutting down the economy also led to more dire financial problems, depression, anxiety, drug abuse (prescription and non-prescription), alcohol abuse, suicide, domestic abuse, and injuries. Not to mention, tens of millions of people with chronic pain couldn’t get access to effective, non-drug treatments—such as acupuncture and massage. And the states with the strictest and longest lockdowns, such as in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York, experienced the worst numbers and deaths.
Plus, the JAMA study also outlined another huge problem that resulted from the shutdown…
Telehealth falls short on actual care and priorities
According to the JAMA study, the use of telemedicine skyrocketed by a staggering 4,000 percent in March and April of 2020. But these virtual consultations only accounted for about 40 percent of the pre-pandemic, in-person visits. So, there was still a 60 percent drop in care.
I can’t really blame people for opting for telehealth appointments during a pandemic. Especially when doctor’s offices and clinics imposed such severe restrictions on patients’ appointments and services.
But I do have serious doubts about the quality of care delivered during these telehealth visits…
For example, as I’ve reported before, having an open, honest relationship with your doctor is a major key to good health. But achieving this kind of openness is difficult when talking into a screen…rather than face–to–face. (You can get all my pointers about dealing with your doctor in person or with telemedicine in the upcoming February 2021 issue of my Insiders’ Cures newsletter. Not yet a subscriber? All it takes is one click.)
Furthermore, from a practical standpoint, there’s only so much that a practitioner can do during a telehealth visit, without conducting a proper physical examination. In fact, I recently heard a story about one nurse practitioner who began providing telehealth early on during the shutdown. She openly admitted that her main, overarching goal was simply to keep her patients alive and out of the emergency room during the shutdown. So, basically, she said she just spent her days writing and renewing drug prescriptions.
And, indeed, that’s what the JAMA study showed, too…
For the most part, during March and April, even as the delivery of much-needed screenings and treatments for serious diseases came to a complete halt, the overall number of drug prescriptions written remained almost completely the same. And in some cases, they even increased!
Worse yet, according to a recent report by a non-profit organization, big pharma “significantly” raised the prices of 245 common “maintenance” drugs—including antidepressants and blood thinners—since last January. They even raised prices on specific drugs used to help fight COVID-19!
So, as many Americans continue to grapple with disruptions to their own health, jobs, housing, and healthcare…big pharma is doing better than ever.
It’s criminal, if you ask me.
Plus, there’s another big, corporate group that benefitted from the pandemic…
Health insurance companies double their profits
As the pandemic continues to drag on, fewer people are going to the doctor, getting screenings, and receiving treatments. But here’s the thing…
Even though they’re receiving less medical care, they’re still paying their full premiums to health insurance companies. Which means these companies are raking in billions in savings.
In fact, UnitedHealth Group, the country’s largest private health insurer, made $3.4 billion in the second quarter of 2019. But in the second quarter of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, they made $6.7 billion…twice as much. And smaller companies are posting similar—or larger—gains.
How to regain control of your personal health, despite ongoing restrictions
I don’t know how or when our country will “get back to normal”—if ever. But I do know this…
You can take control of your own health, starting today.
In fact, I recommend starting with your overall immunity—which includes supplementing daily with 10,000 IU (250 mcg) of vitamin D. (You can learn more about my top immune health recommendations in my Pandemic Protection Playbook: How to become “immune ready” in every season. To gain access this essential guide, click here now!)
You can also learn about the dozens of safe, natural alternatives for preventing, detecting, AND treating cancer in my groundbreaking online learning tool, my Authentic Anti-Cancer Protocol. To learn more about this innovative protocol, or to enroll today, click here now!
Sources:
“Changes in Health Services Use Among Commercially Insured US Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(11):e2024984. doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.24984
“Pharmaceutical Companies Hike Drug Prices During COVID-19 Pandemic.” Pharma News Intelligence, 7/3/20. (pharmanewsintel.com/news/pharmaceutical-companies-hike-drug-prices-during-covid-19-pandemic)
“US health insurers doubled profits in second quarter amid pandemic.” The Guardian, accessed 11/24/20. (theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/14/us-health-insurers-coronavirus-pandemic-profit)