A Personal Wellness Bill of Rights: Health Care Reform You Can LIVE With!

by Susan Tate

Our health care system might be more accurately described as a disease care system. People typically enter this system when they find themselves sick and need pain or symptom relief or they are seeking a cure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate the medical care costs of people with chronic diseases account for more than 75% of the nation’s $2 trillion medical care budget. Let’s take a look at the last word in the source I just quoted: PREVENTION. How much money are we spending on prevention? Is the health care system providing education about things we can each do at little or no cost to prevent chronic and degenerative diseases? Most people would not argue with the fact that we need an updated, more effective model.

While we wait for Congress to design a miraculous and far-reaching “cure” for a worn out system of “health” care, I propose that each of us consider creating our own health care reform package guided by what I will call A Wellness Bill of Rights. We can put what we want in our package and make a choice to focus on wellness and prevention of illness. This can surely serve us better than attempting to pick up the pieces after our bodies break down.

We could each prescribe for ourselves health and wellness practices that we could not only LIVE with, but we could actually thrive in as we enjoy their benefits. Most of the rights below involve choices we can make that don’t cost us a cent. But I must warn you of possible side effects: choosing to implement any of these rights may enhance your life and cause expanded, joy-filled wellness!

A Personal Wellness Bill of Rights

• I have the right to choose vibrant, wholesome foods that nourish my body, mind and spirit.

• I have the right to dedicate four hours a week to exercise (movement) that I love.

• I have the right to set the intention to be as well as I can be, even if I have a chronic or life-threatening illness.

• I have the right to leave work or home to take a pleasurable walk every day of the week.

• I have the right to feel healthy, happy and whole.

• I have the right to refrain from putting the word “my” in front of any diagnosis of illness I may have received.

• I have the right to choose high-quality supplements that nourish my body at a cellular level.

• I have the right to choose thoughts that transform worry into mindful peace.

• I have the right to forgive.

• I have the right to take the stairs more often and count my blessings on each step.

• I have the right to dance like no one is watching.

• I have the right to park farther away from my destination.

• I have the right to meditate and pray.

• I have the right to give and receive love freely.

• I have the right to support a more nourishing selection of foods for our nation’s school children.

• I have the right to support the provision of healthy food offered through our government’s food subsidies for low-income people.

• I have the right to get off the sugar/carb craving roller coaster.

• I have the right to die healthy after many decades of wondrous living.

• I have the right to die with dignity in the place where I choose.

• I have the right to play the leading role in decision-making for all of my health care needs.

• I have the right to take advantage of screenings for the early detection of illness.

• I have the right to create a living will and designate a durable power of attorney for health care, to make my decisions if I become incapacitated.

• I have the right to read books (like my book: Wellness Wisdom, 31 Ways to Nourish Your Mind, Body & Spirit) that uplift my spirit and support my well-being.

When you claim and activate these rights, the money you spend on disease care is bound to decrease substantially and your quality of living can expand in countless pleasurable ways. Now that’s health care reform you can LIVE with!