I've just turned 70 and have not used a penny of Medicare benefits including pharmaceutical drugs.I take natural supplements and stay active.My thought is that those of us who don't run to the doctor every time we sneeze,and don't waste taxpayers' dollars should get special discounts on natural supplements,and some compensation back from Uncle.I thought about bringjng up the idea to my US Represenative,but knowing that there are liberals,(Dick Durbin)and others who are being lobbied by "Big Pharma" to try and make natural supplements come under gov't. control,I fear that it would be a waste of time.If someone like AMAC could ban together,or at least get enough of us to sigh up as being interested,then possibly someone would listen.I do find it hard to find older people who do not let the medical profession convince them that they need to be on five,ten or fifteen pharmaceutical drugs,thus they usually end up either incapacitated,or in the ground at an earlier age than they should have.If anyone agrees please reply,I sure would like to know someone who doesn't tell me all their' medical history, problems,aches,pains,and list of medications every time I ask."how are you!"
Not many offer discounts on ALTERNATIVE MEASURES -- sorry. Please look to see if there are Holistic Community groups in your area -- they may offer some suggestions... Personally I have been shopping through Amazon - their prices seem to be most reasonable as they seek to be the best prices around (even beating WalMart).
I've been a big believer in supplement since my 20s and I take a fair number of them. I might add that at 65 yrs. my only prescribed medication is low dose (10 mg.) lovastatin with an occasional acid reflux pill. Anyway, every so often the FDA wants to control this or that supplement and, so far, they've been pushed back. The FDA, while they do some good things, but in my opinion very little. As Oldguy alluded to, they're a little to cozy with the pharmaceutical companies and I might add to that the fact that politics gets mixed in which makes it even harder for me to have any faith in the FDA. We are lucky here in the USA for the availability of supplements that are prescription only in other countries.
My supplements come mainly from LEF (Life Extension Foundation) who also pushes back against the FDA and in fact have won a couple of legal battles against them. Their supplements aren't cheap but I believe are quality pharmaceutical grade. Note: I don't work for or have any sort of business or other relationship with LEF other than getting many of my supplement from them. I also get several of my supplements from Swanson. Fish oil and COQ10 I get from Sam's Club.
