Health Care Reform: A Spiritual, Whole Systems Perspective
by Corinne McLaughlin
 

The policy debate over health care is one of the most divisive ones in recent history. It often neglects the moral dimension and seldom includes the spiritual dimension.

On a deeper metaphysical level, health care reform is really about the movement of Spirit into matter.  It’s about making matter on earth more receptive and transparent to Spirit.  What do I mean by this?  It’s about bringing more light into our bodies by nurturing them with good food, adequate rest, and beneficial medicines when needed, so they can more fully embody Spirit.  Good health care honors our body, the temple of our Spirit. How can we be involved with spiritual pursuits if we’re sick and can’t afford healthcare?  How can we be effective in our service to others if we don’t care for our bodies and become sick? 

At the core of the health care debate is a moral issue:  How can we claim to be ethical and civic minded if we don’t care that others are suffering from lack of good health care?  How can we claim to be spiritual?  Don’t we realize that we’re all interconnected, and the suffering of one person affects everyone on a subconscious level, contributing to the overall pain, fear and depression in the world?  It’s so important that we collectively develop a compassionate and wise response to the issue of health care.

There are honest arguments on both sides of the debate—one side emphasizing compassion and support for the disadvantaged who lack health care or were denied insurance coverage, the other side emphasizing freedom of choice for those who can afford it.  But there is clearly moral fault when anyone deliberately lies about the facts or  incites fear to protect personal interests and satisfy personal or corporate greed.

46 million people in our country are uninsured and many more are without adequate coverage.  It’s estimated that 60% of bankruptcies this year will be due to medical bills.  Americans spend more on healthcare than any other country—an average of 16% of our income, and yet we don’t get better outcomes than countries that spend far less.  Why is this?

On a practical level, one person’s untreated contagious disease affects others.  Those lacking insurance often seek help in emergency rooms, which is the most expensive care, and their unpaid bills raise hospital costs which are then passed along to everyone.

The only real answers will come from exploring health care from a deeper, more whole systems perspective and including more dimensions than we have previously:  transcending right/left adversarial politics to truly serve the highest good of all; honoring facts and truth to overcome politically generated fears; reducing inflated insurance costs and unfair policies to create true competition; balancing social justice with fiscal responsibility and budget constraints; reducing the role of government where practical; increasing information about prevention and holistic approaches; and valuing both compassion for the disadvantaged and freedom of choice for those who can afford it.  Everything is interconnected and part of the whole system.  How many of these dimensions can you take in and synthesize in your consciousness?  What aspect is your congressional representative missing that you need to remind him or her about?

On a personal level, what we each can do is to love and care for our bodies and our health as a spiritual discipline. I’ve found that using “complementary medicine”--preventive and holistic approaches (as well as traditional medicine) has kept me relatively healthy and reduced my medical expenses considerably.  I eat mostly organic, chemical-free food with lots of vegetables, exercise regularly with daily yoga and short runs, and get adequate rest each night.  In addition, vitamins, herbs and supplements help strengthen my immune system.  I also get regular preventive screenings, and plan regular visits to holistic providers, such as chiropractors and homeopathists.  And most importantly, I have a regular meditation practice and pay attention to my mental diet, filtering out negative energy and violence from the media and focusing instead on the positive work of people worldwide creating solutions to our problems.

What we each can do now, in addition to taking care of our personal health, is to meditate on the health care debate, seeing all the players surrounded in light, and the whole debate filled with calm clarity, so that the final policy will truly serve the highest good.

Corinne McLaughlin is Executive Director of The Center for Visionary Leadership and co-author of Spiritual Politics and a new book coming this March on spirituality and social change. She coordinated a national task force for President Clinton’s Council on Sustainable Development, and is a Fellow of the World Business Academy and Findhorn Foundation.