Getting Even With The Healthcare Industrial Complex

The Healthcare Industrial Complex (HIC) is comprised of health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare services companies, and the government. The HIC is designed with one purpose in mind; to enrich itself. The delivery of effective healthcare to the patient is what's advertised but not at all the purpose or outcome. In fact, the HIC cannot exist without those who are in poor health, and it becomes more profitable as more people become less healthy. This is evident. As Americans become less mentally stable, more addicted to drugs, and increasingly obese, the big winners have been the companies which "treat" these symptoms as well as the politicians who create policies that perpetuate this morbid cycle. Included in this group of winners are those who facilitate the framework of this miserable machine, including lawyers and consultants who write legislation and policy on behalf of the HIC, and companies that actually make Americans sick, such as the manufacturers of corn syrup, including as Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). There are indirect beneficiaries of the HIC, including Corporate America. Those who have health conditions, including mental illnesses as well as physical ailments, need health insurance offered by employers. As Medicare is available only to those over 65 and Medicaid is for those who actually cannot work, the only option for affordable health insurance is to take a miserable corporate job. Corporate America depends on the working sick to be available for hire. Lastly, the government needs income tax revenue. Those who are healthy and don't need to be in the labor pool have the option to not work and avoid having their income confiscated. Those who are dependent on the HIC to be "treated" as well as the taxpayers are the big losers. 

The election of Donald Trump in 2016 as well as 2024 is a clear indication that Americans are fed up with the system. Someone as belligerent and radical as Trump would not have been elected if the system wasn't so rigged in favor of the elites. A prime example of an elite is the former CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson. His assassination is heralded by millions as an act of heroism that makes the voices of millions who have been exploited by UHC's unethical (but legal) denial of claims heard. The late Brian Thompson had been making $10,000,000 per year to head this evil institution, and lots of individuals who've been wronged by the HIC are hoping that he's looking up from hell at the injustice he helped perpetuate.

The dismantling of the HIC will never be accomplished by a top down approach. Too many powerful individuals are making too much money to rock the boat. While the assassination of Mr. Thompson sheds light on the problem, in reality this spotlight will fade and health insurance companies will continue to deny claims at the rate it has been, if not at an increased rate, into the future. The HIC can only be eliminated by those who visit doctors offices, check in to hospitals, and take pharmaceuticals. The HIC cannot exist without customers, so a boycott must be initiated. Some customers will never leave. Babies will continue to be born, including babies that are born with birth defects and special needs. People will continue to age and get sick. Accidents will continue to happen, requiring all kinds of treatments and medications. However, if Americans would prioritize their health, including mental health, preventative measures can be taken which will keep a large number of people out of the clutches of the HIC.

Those with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and strokes are the most common HIC customers. Those who are diagnosed with mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, ADHD, and bipolar condition, also make up a large portion of HIC customers. These conditions all have one thing in common; they're mostly preventable. In reality, the majority of these sicknesses are caused by indulgence in harmful behaviors, a lack of self-care, and stress. Unfortunately, the public has been indoctrinated to take MDs at face value and is either too lazy or too ignorant to do their own research when it comes to treatment options. While MDs aren't necessarily unscrupulous or even complicit with the HIC, they are beholden to it. There are a lot of MDs who want to help their patients become well, but are either financially or legally compelled to offer treatment that is dictated by insurance companies or legislation. Going back to claim denials, there's only so much a doctor can do if a treatment isn't covered by an insurance company. Additionally, MDs can face civil and criminal prosecution if certain treatments are or aren't administered. As an example, if a psychiatrist has a patient who has been diagnosed with a mental illness, it is advisable for that psychiatrist to prescribe psychotropic drugs, even if that patient might not need those drugs. The patient might be able to make lifestyle changes that could prevent the need for these types of drugs. And there is no guarantee that any prescription will actually improve outcomes, but it will shield the MD from legal jeopardy if the patient does something crazy. If the psychiatrist does not prescribe a medication but instead suggests that the patient simply prioritizes self-care and the patient commits a crime, the psychiatrist could be liable. Hence, the system is set up to promote pharmaceuticals. And, in some cases, the MD simply wants to prescribe as many pharmaceuticals as possible, including addictive pharmaceuticals like benzodiazepines and amphetamines. Once a patient is on these medications, they automatically become reliable returning customers as these medications are very hard to deprescribe from.

What can be done to stop this evil cycle? If you're looking at it from an individual level, a lot. The most important thing a person can do for himself or herself is to prioritize self-care. For a lot of Americans, this is a slam dunk. These types of changes themselves are difficult. The easy part is identifying where the changes can be made. Specifically, most Americans consume lots of simple carbohydrates and fat. Most Americans do not eat enough protein or vegetables. Most Americans consume considerably more calories than they burn. If Americans would simply pay attention to their diet, the need for pharmaceuticals and healthcare services would shrink considerably. Additionally, most Americans do not move enough. Social media and video games have made adolescents (and adults) more unhealthy than any previous generation, and this trend continues to worsen as media companies become more adept at capturing their audiences. Only 20% of Americans are reported to engage in daily physical activities, including those who simply go for walks. Can anyone imagine the dent to the bottom line of pharmaceutical companies that make blood pressure or diabetes medications if simply 5% of the American public would eat better and move more? And what about the bottom line of Novo Nordisk, the scumbag pharmaceutical company that makes Ozempic, a semaglutide injection that short circuits the body's need to make lifestyle changes in order to lose weight? While having been on the market for only a few years, Ozempic has injured many individuals with its promise of fast, easy weight loss, and the damage done is just getting started as this dangerous drug is widely marketed. What if Americans chose diet and exercise over this "easy route"? Novo Nordisk would go bankrupt, a fate that a lot of pharmaceutical companies deserve.

Another change Americans could make is to simply have better sleep hygiene. Most Americans will either watch television or their phones while laying in bed. A lot of Americans get to sleep too late in accordance to the time they have to get up in the morning. This is especially true for adolescents who have unfettered access to electronics at any given time. The body needs 7-8 hours per night to heal injuries and grow properly. Almost no American gets this necessity. Adding to the problem is caffeinated, sugary products, such as coffee and soda. Caffeine stays in the system for at least 12 hours after consumption and can interrupt sleep as it is not only a stimulant, but also a diuretic. The lack of sleep can also lead to obesity. A body that does not receive enough sleep tends to overproduce cortisol, a stress response that tells the body to store fat. Lastly, tired individuals turn to harmful habits to help cope with the nasty feeling of exhaustion. These harmful habits often lead to addiction, a destroyer of physical and mental health.

Addictions have torn this country apart. In doing so, it's also funded an entire industry that profits off the misery of addicts. A subset of the HIC is the Mental Health Industrial Complex (MHIC). The MHIC includes pharmaceutical companies, mental health service providers, treatment facilities, and, of course, insurance companies. One of the main inputs to the drug crisis in this country are pharmaceutical companies themselves. For years, scumbag pharmaceutical companies like Purdue Pharma produced opioids like Oxycontin, a drug that has the same addictive power to that of heroin. Even though Purdue is no longer in business, the same type of opiates are manufactured and marketed to the American public. There are other classes of drugs, including benzodiazepines and amphetamines, that are lightly regulated and widely prescribed to both adults and children with little oversight. And, of course, there are street drugs which have ravaged this country. As some drugs are deemed as 'safe', including marijuana and even kratom, these 'low level' drugs are wreaking havoc on the mental health of Americans, especially adolescents. All of these problems funnel dollars into the MHIC. Imagine the impact to the manufacturers of methadone, a substitute for heroin manufactured by scumbag pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly, if simply 1% of all opioid addicts could pull themselves out of this addiction. Their stock prices would plummet and at least 1,000 vacation homes on the Italian Riviera owned by CEO types of these pharmaceutical companies would never be built.

Lastly, stress is a precursor to a lot of the major illnesses in this country. Most stress is financial. As America continues to be the country of haves and have nots, the majority struggles to keep their heads above water. But it goes beyond the monetary and fiscal policies created by those who look out for their own. It stems from Americans having 1950's aspirations while incurring 2020's bills in its attempts. The simple fact is the traditional American dream is no longer possible for the majority of Americans. While antinatalism is growing in popularity, most people have or will reproduce. Unfortunately, in doing so these parents who reproduced in a planned or unplanned manner have put themselves in a terrible financial position. Children are simply too expensive for most people and often lead to poverty. The same goes for ownership of assets, such as housing. The average purchase price of a single family home in Colorado is over $500,000. Colorado is one of the more expensive states to buy a home, but even in states like Mississippi, the average price of a single family home is over $250,000. The average income for someone in the labor force in Mississippi is only $30,000. If the interest rate on a 30 year mortgage is 6%, someone who makes average wages and buys a home at the median price in Mississippi will be consumed by debt. 'Consumed by debt' is a good descriptor of the average American. Those who have substantial debt are inherently stressed out and unhealthy. This doesn't even take into account for those who live below the poverty line, those who are the most unhealthy. The HIC benefits big time from those who are in debt and those who are in poverty. They're the most likely to be on pharmaceuticals and in and out of hospitals and doctors offices. These individuals, at a minimum, need to learn financial literacy before incurring expenses. In reality, most Americans would have a healthier and significantly less stressful life if minimalism was emphasized and consumerism was jettisoned. Who says that children and assets lead to happiness and purpose? For most Americans, they lead to stress, disease, and medical debt. 

Most Americans individually could do at least a few things to get out of and stay out of the HIC. Getting to that light bulb going off in one's head moment is the challenge. People like their McDonald's and Modelo Light. Gen z loves their vapes and anime at 2 am. Everyone buys unnecessary purchases on credit with 25+% interest rates. Everyone is chained to the HIC due to negligent decisions. It's simply easier and more comfortable in the moment to live a life of mediocrity than it is to be and stay healthy. The Brian Thompsons of the world travel to their coastal villas on their private jets because of this fact. Fuck them. Mr. Thompson got what he and all of those like him deserve. However, this was an anomaly. Most of these assholes are simply too smart to expose themselves like Mr. Thompson did. Almost none of these elites will ever face justice. They will simply hire more private security details and be a little more vigilant about not letting the public know their whereabouts. The only thing that can be done to take money out of the pockets of these elites is simply word of mouth about healthier lifestyles. It has to start with those with this mission in mind. Someone like myself has to look the part. I have to have the physique that broadcasts to others that it's possible at 50 years old to be fit and stress free. I have to get the word out about my experience with the Mental Health Industrial Complex. I have to hurt the bottom lines of asshole pharmaceutical companies like those who manufacture the drugs I've been on for three fucking decades. And maybe I can help a few people in the process.