Liberty Inspired Doctors: Know Any?
Last week, I went to a health event put on by a chiropractor in my town. I had heard such good things about him, I figured he had to be a liberty inspired doctor. After all, our initial conversations indicated we were sympatico when it comes to food and health choices, all of which are WAAAAAAY outside the mainstream. Plus one of my "real food" liberty inspired farmers was going to be speaking. All excellent signs and I was really excited.
The event was excellent! It turns out the chiropractor is very WAPF inspired! WAPF = Weston A. Price Foundation, an organization dedicated to a return to traditional foods. I'm so in tune with WAPF that I'm the chapter leader for Lexington and Winchester!
In fact, we are hosting an event tonight in Winchester, if you are free. Details on Meetup here or on Facebook here. Or email me and I'll send you the scoop!
Dr. Price was a dentist who traveled the world investigating long-lived cultures. He was prompted to do this because, over the course of his dental practice, he watched his patients' health deteriorate. Americans weren't getting stronger and healthier, they were getting weaker and sicker! The big question, of course, was why? What was it about Americans' lifestyles had gone awry?
After a decade of travel and investigation, he solved the puzzle: food. We actually are what we eat. Long-lived cultures ate unadulterated food and drank pure water, all in its natural state. Meat animals were raised on pasture. Cultures who drank milk drank it raw. Water was unadorned, pure, without fluoride and chlorine. If they could get salt, they ate it raw (i.e., real) and lots of it. To store food for winter, they fermented and cured. There's more to the lifestyle recommendations, of course, but these are basics.
A Liberty Inspired Doctor, As Well?
I was thrilled to meet a chiropractor in my little town that was WAPF-agreeable. Yay! After the event, he offered me a free initial consultation. I am in need of an adjustment and was happy to accept.
This morning, I arrived a few minutes early to fill out paperwork. The very nice receptionist asked for my insurance card and I.D.
"I don't have insurance," I told her.
She said, "No problem. I'll just need to make a copy of your ID."
Me: "A copy? Why?"
Her: "We need to verify you are who you say you are."
Me: "Okaaay. Um, I'll show it to you, but I'm not comfortable with anyone making a copy."
Her (cheerfully): "Well, we have to send it off to our verification outfit to verify your identity."
[Long pause here while I process this. I'd never heard of such a thing.]
Me: "Your verification outfit?"
Her: "Yes. We just need to verify you are who you say you are."
Me: "I'm happy to show it to you but I'd rather you didn't make a copy."
Her: "Well, we can't see you if we can't copy your ID."
[Another processing pause. Sheesh.]
Me: "Ok, well, I'm not willing to do that. Bye."
Her: "Bye." She was way nicer than I would have been.
He may be WAPF-inspired, but he sure isn't a liberty inspired doctor. I'm wondering a few things:
1. Really? Without being able to copy my ID and send it off to their verification (read "tracking") outfit, a doctor can't see me?
2. If I were really injured and needed help but didn't have an ID, would they turn me away?
3. Does the Hippocratic Oath only apply to citizens whose identities can be verified?
4. Anonymous care is not available anymore?
5. Do the doctor and his staff now believe I have something to hide? Or will it occur to them I simply value my privacy?
6. When Obamacare kicks in, will People Like Me be able to get preventative health care?
7. Are there any liberty inspired doctors for adults in Kentucky?
8. Wff?
I haven't had a medical appointment in so long, I guess I'm out of touch. Is this how they all are now?
I'm looking for a doctor's office like The Surgery Center of Oklahoma: free market, free choice, liberty inspired and truly affordable. Anything like that here in Kentucky? Somebody needs to start one.
I do know of one Lexington liberty inspired doctor: Dr. Cameron Schaeffer. He's a pediatrician and a great speaker. Unfortunately, I don't have kids... or grandkids. Yet. If you do, check him out!
On my way home, I was trying to imagine the conversation when I refused to give them my social security number. Probably just as well we didn't have to go there.