Well, going into homeopathy some 5 months ago I wasn't prepared for the costs involved. I was expecting 3 visits at the most (with SOME noticable improvment or change) after the explanation by my homeopath from the first time we spoke. yet I've had none. I heard the horror stories of those who spend 1000's and get nothing from it, in fact I'm met 2 ppl like this in the flesh.
despite the other negative things i hear about it i believe it works(souly on the experiences iv hear online), but i think im begining to understand the question "if it really works so well, why isnt it more popular?" - probably because the whole experience is such a pain in the ass.
Anyways, I might be able to afford ONE more visit/consulation #3 with my homeopath,, but that is it for this year. I dont know if its even worth going because if this one doesnt work (at the rate im going it wont) then the next time Id be able to would be a year or more and who knows, I might be in a different state and who knows if ill be able to afford it then. I guess an option is to wait untill I have a full time job (3 years or so from now) when I can afford this stuff.
IN THE MEAN TIME, Im wondering if it would be ok for me to "experiment" with taking remedies on my own every 2 months... (example)like Nat Mur 200c 1/2 capfull, and if i dont notice anything then I will trash it. and so on for however long it takes for me to see a homeopath CONSITENTLY. (wich migh mean me taking a shot in the dark every 2 months for around 3 years. SO, my question is; will this screw up my case?? when it comes time for me to see a homeopath will this make it harder for him/her to help me?? I know iv heard this would if you take a new one every 2 weeks or somthing, but what about a 200c every 2 months??? thanks for your advice in advance

if theres one thing iv learned form all this, its that homeopathy is for the rich.

One other thing about homeopathy is that the homeopaths are usually people who really want to help. The BB is an example of that. I would suggest that you put your case up to the BB if this next visit doesn't do the job, and let the homeopaths here look at it. Maybe typing it out will help you to get some point across that will reveal the remedy, or maybe the viewpoint, experience, or ability of a different homeopath will be what you need. There IS a right remedy, and it can be hard to find, but that doesn't mean impossible. But do give your homeopath another stab at it if you can afford it, as he/she has learned a lot about you already, and this next visit will reveal even more.

HI

I don't know which country you live in, but I can say that homeopathy is not only for the rich in the UK.

I was broke, almost homeless and couldn't work due to illness (which the doctors said I would have to live with for life). I was lucky enough to find a sympathetic homeopath, who got me back working and earning the dosh I need to study and to pay her back.

I also work at a low cost clinic for low-income families in London. Homeopathy is available on the National Health System (which is free) and I know of a lot of homeopaths who dedicate their time and resources travelling to traumatised areas in the world to assist in the recovery process.

My argument for homeopathy is: what price do I put on my health?

If I am ill, I can't work; if I can't work; I can't eat; if I don't eat, I die.

As for taking remedies on your own every couple of months. I would say that you can muck up your case - yes. What can heal can also harm (in the wrong hands).

Even in provings, people's cases are constantly monitored in case they need to be antidoted.

I, personally, wouldn't recommend it, but others may have different opinions.

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Regards,<br /><b>Simone H</b><br /><br /><i>Aude Sapere</i><br /><br />"Never be a passive listener or learner" ~ Christian Gottfried Hahnemann

Well, I too would agree that it appears that homeopathy is for the rich; but let's just brush that airy surface appearance away, shall we?

In the UK, its can be had for free via national health. In the US, you have to shop around for homeopaths who are accessible--not difficult, really; but if it is problematic then you have to pay for consultations and hope for the best. In Canada, it works the same way; if you are wealthy or have a really good job which pays very well and provides benefits, you can have some of your expenses for homeopathy covered IF you hire a Naturopath to treat you homeopathically. That insurance coverage is limited to about $300/per year, and it covers only consultations. So, everywhere in North America, it costs.

But, compare this to the cost of conventional medicine:

Granted, here in Canada, conventional medicine is FREE, because Doctors are paid on average about $200 CDN per visit, which they bill per patient. Average number of visits per hour: 8. Do the math--the average doctor working in my province earns $1600/ per hour. Doctor's salaries are capped within a range in Ontario--I believe the cap is $400,000/per year. Most doctors will bill and work to their maximim--then take the other 6-9 months off, because they don't get paid for those days. Anyway, so few of them are taking new patients these days--so if you don't have a GP you've used for years, you usually go to a Walk In clinic. Average wait time in Toronto is about 3 hours; average wait time in areas much smaller than Toronto, and far more underserviced medically: way longer. Did you book that time off work? Make sure you took the whole morning or the whole day off, cause you never know...

Then, for their already expensive service and attention, you get: about 8-10 minutes of their attention--then they delegate what used to be their work. They no longer do physical examinations, or even work ups! They simply take some samples (if they have to--often they just send you to a technician to take the samples) and send them off to a lab. Then you wait a required amount of time before receiving your results--1 week for something simple; up to 6 weeks for something like the results of a PAP smear; longer if it is something less "ordinary" or routine. In the meantime, you can come back in a "get some treatment" for your complaint, even though you're still waiting for results from your tests and the doctor can't diagnose.

So then you get your prescription for whatever ails you, which will have to do until you get your diagnosis back (or not, depending on the lab's findings--no diagnosis, start the whole process over again...). You take that to a pharmacy, wait half an hour or so to have it filled, and pay full price for a name brand prescription drug which is either an antibiotic, a steroid, or a NSAID...depending on your complaint (full price, I say, because in our country generic drugs are no longer "legally" sold--and most people don't have the insurance "drug plan" which allows them to save some money on prescriptions. Let's not forget--you pay a stocking charge PLUS the inflated price of the name brand for an already outrageously priced drug "treatment". You take that, and by the time your test results have been returned to the doctor, you've probably got "something new" to tell him/her about.

So, you go through the whole process again and leave with another scrip for another pricey drug. Which, used for a couple of years, creates the need for more prescription drugs which are meant to address the side effects produced by the first prescription.

And so on, and so on, ad infinitum. Think I'm being facetious? Think again. Pharmaceutical companies market their stock prices by promoting the patient's ensured increasing need for larger and larger varieties of drugs for "treatment". Their idea of "treatment" of a condition means prescribing more and more drugs to suppress the disease in every new symptom manifestation.

So--have you totalled it up yet? Time off work, travel time, transportation costs; cost of grief (waiting and waiting and waiting....for test results too....) drug costs which only escalate, pain and suffering which only escalate or mutate but never go completely away....if you're female, being the target of plenty of new "hormone" therapies "just because"....then, finally, hospitalization, surgery, and more drugs....

Wow--suppose you saw a homeopath instead? First consultation: average of about $150. Follow up, 6 weeks later--with phone consultation/email correspondence provided for free in between: average price about $70. Cost of remedies: usually included in consultation price; or, about $12 for a vial. Follow ups after the first one, usually for 2 month intervals--also about $70--plan on having about 2 or 3 of them a year.

So, for about $500 Canadian, give or take a few dollars, you are "treated" homeopathically. If you benefit from it--good remedy, improvement--how can you count the savings, in terms of quality of life?

Sounds like a WAY more affordable and hassle-free option...and, you can actually scope out a good homeopath BEFORE consulting with one--heck, even interview one and see if you like her/him before committing yourself to working with them.

I know which of the two options is the greater "pain in the ass", in my opinion--course, you'd have to make up your own mind about that, in your own case. But please, look at the real economics involved.

Divina

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...and deliverance has many faces<br />but grace<br />is an aquaintance of mine

I'd like to add my two cents worth.

To begin with, when I switched from allopathic to homeopathic medical care, my out of pocket expenses dropped by about 80% over a three year period. So which is really more expensive?

Secondly, I have been to three different homeopaths as we have moved around the country, and my medical insurance has covered all of them from 70%-80% as a regular office visit. Since the initial consultation is usually the most expensive, it has not been covered as fully, but follow ups are well within the range of a normal office visit.

Thirdly, even though Canadian dollars and US dollars are different, the $150 Canadian is really quite low for an initial office visit. My homeopath is now charging $370US and I charge between $250-$350US for the initial visit. I must say, though, that much more work goes into doing a good initial case study and finding that initial remedy than goes into most follow ups.

Fourthly, you need to look at the hourly wages. Where the allopath spends at most 15 minutes with you (if you're lucky and have an exeptionally caring physician who is not under a stressful time restraint) and charges about $85, it comes to $340/hour. The homeopath charges between $200-$400 and spends between an hour and three hours for the initial case study and sometimes even longer if they need to research it.

By the way, the clinic I work at always provides a diagnostic code on the receipt and people report getting about a 60%-70% insurance reimbursement.

So which, really, is the better health care bargain?

Shirley

[ 24 August 2001: Message edited by: sreischman ]

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Shirley Reischman

I agree with the answers above. In the long run, homeopathy is definitely cheaper than allopathy, even if it doesn't look that way to you now. ... and ... you CAN muck up your case, so messing around with remedies can make the healing process more costly in the long run.

The solution would be to choose an MD who is covered in your health plan and who is also doing homeopathy. This is of course just a shot in the dark, because one never knows if the MD is really practising homeopathy or uses homeopathic remedies in the allopathic ways. However, this may be a route to investigate. If you disclose the area where you live, people on this BB might be able to point you to such a doctor.

As I write this, I have an idea - are there any homeopathic schools, colleges etc. who do real cases for study for free ? That would be worth an email, now wouldn't it ? Again, it depends in which neck of the woods you're in !

Claudia

HI. Firstly, everyone, take it from me -
Homeopathy is NOT available to even children on the National Health in reality, at least not where I come from, believe me I've tried to get it for my daughter! The medical profession do not go for that here. I have been told that there is ONE homeopath available (not in my immediate area) and I would have to wait at least a YEAR to get treatment. I have been told in relation to my daughter's case to "Go back to your homeopath", because the hospital cannot recognise her condition and they know I will not take their treatment which they say is not particular to her case, but all they can offer. It is a JOKE to try and get homeopathic treatment for free here. Having said that, HI - which country are you living in? My homeopath is VERY reasonable especially considering the hours and hours she puts in. I do know what you mean, but at the end of the day it DOES WORK. Having followed some of your threads, I should explain that I am on our second Homeopath. As with everything, the first person you see is not necessarily the one you should stick with. Our first experience was OK but I ended up suggesting the remedies which at the time was ludicrous as I only had Sylvia Treacher to rely upon at the time (recomended). If I had not found (by word of mouth - DO NOT go to advertised if you can help it), the homeopath I have now, it is a reality that my now 6.5 daughter would not have survived - honestly. My next point is GUYS - can you not see that HI is hovering and desperate to be invited to post a case??!! but does not quite have the gumption to get it on?? Also, HI you must see that most people (like me) get into homeopathy because they have 'walked the walk' and seen the benefits for themselves. Homeopathy becomes second nature - it is a part of how we live our lives. The miracle that you will see when you discover the RIGHT homeopath for you and you actually see a remedy to work will make you a convert for life. These people have seen that, and continue to see it - HI, you HAVE to experience it. PLEASE post your case here and just see what will happen. You will see people on the BB say it over and over when a remedy works and they see the wonder of it and cannot understand why nobody else does! Come on chaps, I think HI is sending out lots of messages here - the androgynous identity, lack of location and questions, questions, questions (mostly negative) all pointing to someone who wants HELP!

ARGGH - this topic has me very frusterated. because I agree with most of the comments - in thoery. Yes, homeopathy is cheaper if you are getting results which HI said he is not so in effect he might as well be throwing the money into the trash. Can you put a price on health? Of course not BUT where in HI's post does anyone see that he is getting health? He isn't - and it is fine and dandy to say "do your homework" "Find a really qualified homeo to take your case, blah , blah ,blah" But it doesn't seem to work that way. You can search and search and with every search and every homeo you try you are shelling out hundreds and hundreds of dollars and if you have had no results?? Absolutely none - well then what do you do? Continue looking? why? Because we tell him to? Does that even sound reasonable? I have spent hundreds and hundreds on homeo care, money I had to "find" from our finances - secretly behind my hubby's back - because no way would he agree to it and how can I even try to justify it when I have had absolutely NO response????

SO it is real easy to ask someone "well what price can you put on health but some of us are not buying health apparently - because we sure as heck aint getting it.

This is why I am sooooo grateful to find such an incredible, selfless, group of folks here and other boards who dedicate themselves to trying to help ohters get well and they do it with getting nothing in return except gratitude. So again to my "loves" I say thank you. and to HI I say don't give up But perhaps you wopuld like to try posting here and see if anyone can help - I knmow how frusterated you are.

Barb

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Man, do not pride yourself on your superiority to animals. For they are without sin and you in your greatness defile the earth by your appearance on it and leave traces of you foulness after you. Dostoyevsky

thank you all for the replies.
It seems that some of you got the impression that I was comparing alopathy and homeopathy. I wasn't. (but now i have some commends below)
I'm in Western New York state, in case there are any schools in this area, id consider this idea.
My mom ,brother and i get our health insurance from my dads work, so going to an "alopath" doesn't cost me a dime. (that is the reality, i can't go change the united states medical system so that my homeopathy will be covered instead of alopathy)
In my situation, any homeopathy costs come out of my pocket. I'm currently a student and I'm working just to keep what I have, no saving. this will most likely be my situaton for AT LEAST another year. since I've been haveing a very hard time choosing what I want to do for a career (and a major), and also the depression that comes along from my anxiety disorder wich makes it very near imposible to hold a full time job, It could be 3 years or so untill I graduate and get over my anxiety disorder(threw comprehensive cognitive behavioral therapy), So that I can hold a full time steady job - and afford to see a homeopath consistently.

And I am realy bored of hearing this anamosity torwards "alopaths" as if they are ALL conspiring against us in some way- by certain few indivituals. Most people who become doctors do it to help others, just like homeopathy. It is very very easy to be infulenced by todays society and go into the medical field without feeling the need to give homeopathy a second look. It is just how it is today, people don't know what homeopathy is, and when they ask they're told is a hoax. Where as modern medicine is considered tried and proved so to speak. (Even though I would understand SUSPITION of the drug manufacuters, I don't think highly of being againts all alopaths and the entire system of alopathy) There are things that alopathy is good for that homeopathy isn't and vise versa. They both have there place. Ever watch the show "Trauma"? Modern tecnology can come in handy if you accidentaly loose a finger or toe, or arm or leg, or break a bone, or get severely burned, or have a fast spreading tumor wich can sussesfully & QUICKLY taken out with surgery (wich might take homeopathy longer to cure - either way both are effctive) And yes, i think it is worth paying insurance companies for this. Tecnology can be very expensive. Now, I understand being upset with perscription drugs, (i am too) but we are just humans, they use those drugs because they can see that they "work"(even if its not always helpfull in the long run). its fast and simple. and homeopathy IS NOT for everyone. It takes alot of soul searching and self analysis and spilling your guts out (over and over in my case,,,) for this homeopathy stuff to work for anyone, and like i said its not for everyone.
I have gone this rout over this past year and have discoverd I may have celiac disease wich is helped by a gluten free diet, and early signs of chrones disease (however u spell it) along with some funny blood test RESULTS that they didn't know what to do with but at least i got some information out of that path. I just felt I needed to get that out, sorry if I've riled anyones alopathic animosity up
:razz:
Ok, so i can muck up my case,,,, that sucks..

I did post my case here before and was perscribed a remedy, but I chose to go to my homeopathy instead (this was recomended over there suggestion)
Thanks very much for the person who suggested a doctor who also does homeopathy, this might be an option if im lucky. And thanks for understanding where im comming from,
So I will consider any schools in this area, and I'll call my insurance company in search of a doctor who also does homeopathy, and I wont take a remedy every two months for the next 3 years or so, so i dont muck up my case. As for posting on this board,,,, Iv dont it before and im not sure i want to again. adios

HI, My daughter has OCD (sounds like that may be your diagnosis?) and I have treated her successfully and another two such cases. It can be done! (By success I mean that she is doing very well for now and we expect a cure.) If you check back in here, and want to, email me and we can talk about it. She did need some allopathic help too, for tranquilizers when she was first starting on her remedy, and we were very thankful to have them available. Sometimes it is necessary. Best wishes!

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Kescah