I'm going to put the following into a separate post:
> If only a grave threat to a person's life or
>health is to be a criterion to
> determine what counts as medicine, many "medical"
>decisions can't be called
> medical. What is the criterion for "medical
>necessity" of flu shots,
>
>they often prevent the death of old people -
>preventative medicine is what they call it
>
> eyeglasses,
>
>this is a correction for sight which is a medical issue
>
> massages to ease back pains,
>
>this is treatment for a medical condition
>
> orthodontic
>
>people have cavities, they must be corrected or your
>teeth rot and then you lose the ability to
>eat
>
> well-balanced diets,
>
>very few doctors I know of are up on nutrition - this
>is generally something we learn on our
>own anyway, isn't it?
>
> assisted living, etc.,
>
>to my knowledge people pay for this option themselves
>and it is not generally under the
>umbrella of medicine, though some health care insurers
>are getting into offering it as a long
>term care option (more on this below)
All of the above can be broadly regarded as health care questions as abortion can be (I think involuntary motherhood -- especially too many unwanted pregnancies -- is bad for physical and mental health). But the fact of the matter is that they often are not. Many orthodontic procedures for adults are not covered by insurance. Many insurance plans don't pay for eyeglasses either. How many plans pay for massages for back pain, and if they do, how many times per condition? Knowing what a well-balanced diet is is not at all the same as being entitled to it. So, as far as payments are concerned, they are not fully part of health care (even if you are lucky enough to be covered by some kind of insurance). After all, if your eyesight is only slightly bad, whether or not to wear eyeglasses is a "personal decision," isn't it? Insurance companies, HMOs, & governments regard all medical services as you think of abortion. It's up to you, it all depends upon whether you are willing to pay. Isn't it why good teeth are status symbols of sorts & bad teeth signs of poverty?
Yoshie