The 78 million baby boomers who are about to turn 65 might face a health care system that significantly limits access to quality care, according to a mid-April story from The Associated Press.

In fact, the AP says traditional medicine for the aging U.S. population faces many challenges:

· One geriatric specialist is available per 2,500 seniors
· Sufficient medical training does not exist
· Turnover of nurses aides is 71 percent per year
· Within their first two years on the job, about 90 percent of home health aides quit
· Some elderly patients need team care, which Medicare doesn’t provide

The story also says Medicare lacks coverage for preventive care, focusing on treating conditions rather than promoting long-term health.

Thankfully, U.S. seniors have chiropractors, naturopaths, acupuncturists and other alternative health practitioners on their side. Whether it’s nutrition or enzyme therapy, these practitioners provide baby boomers and the elderly with safe, effective and natural choices for sustaining long-term health.

On May 6, the American Chiropractic Association will play host to a teleseminar called “Geriatrics: Comprehensive Care for the Senior Population.” This educational seminar will provide information on holistic health care options for the aging population.

Be sure to check out the story on www.enzymeexperts.com about insurance companies and alternative care options. Today, it seems that several employers are trying to find new ways to decrease health insurance costs. In this election year, when health care is a top political issue, stories such as this show how consumers are responding to the costly and sometimes ineffective U.S. health care system.

One option is to include coverage for alternative health care from chiropractors, acupuncturists and other practitioners. Also, some plans are covering the costs of supplements, such as herbals and nutritional products. In addition, some plans could allow participants to purchase supplements with money from health savings accounts.

This is great news for people who have already found relief from chronic or bothersome conditions through alternative practitioners and supplements. And for those that haven’t looked beyond traditional medicine, this could open their lives and minds to highly effective alternative care. It would be wise to ask employers about these options, as that will send a message to insurance companies that alternative health care could be one step toward healing what ails U.S. medicine. According to smartmoney.com, about 75 percent of U.S. adults have tried some sort of alternative care.

We can also encourage our local, state and national representatives to consider the benefits of alternative health care. At the very least, it would be nice to hear more discussion about the options as legislators and presidential candidates offer their solutions for the country’s medical woes. As the rates of diabetes, obesity and other chronic conditions keep climbing, we have to make it clear that alternative medicine might not only decrease the costs of health care coverage, but might also help create a more healthful society.

Check out the SmartMoney story here, as it also offers some excellent suggestions we should all consider about alternative health care options in our insurance plans. For example, some plans might only offer discounts, and some might not accept claims for myriad reasons. Also, it’s a good idea to use caution when choosing a practitioner for alternative care. Of course, we strongly recommend BioSET™ certified practitioners, as well as those that offer the BioSET,™ Advanced Formula™ and NESS™ lines of nutritional supplements.

Well, we’ve returned from another successful event! This expo took us to the Minneapolis / St. Paul area for the Northwest Health Sciences University’s College of Chiropractic 2006 Homecoming. Michele and Andrew attended, handing out info. and samples to interested doctors and their assistants.

This was our first time exhibiting at NWHSU, and the attendees seemed to be quite interested even though many of them were not familiar with our products. When we explained Enzymes, Inc. does not heavily advertise, like some of our competitors, and the majority of our business comes through word of mouth and referrals - they were impressed! Even more so when we explained how enzyme supplements from our Advanced Formula, BioSET, and NESS professional product lines were superior in many other ways.

Even though our products were unknown to some, we were able to visit with some doctors who have been faithful customers for years. Everywhere we go we run into someone we know, and it’s always great to put the name with a face!

A million thanks to the students and staff of NWHSU for hosting such an exceptional event, and to the doctors who graciously gave us a few minutes of their time.