HHS and IOM contract - New Strategies
The main lesson from all of this is the American political system (and European political systems) is based on money, campaign contributions, lobbying and wealth centred networks. This sets the agenda and pre-determines all outcomes. The proof of this lies in the fact that our emails, letters and phone calls to Congressmen and Senators and to the HHS Secretary and to NIH and CDC were ignored and fobbed off. It is now very obvious that HHS Secretary Sebelius has been briefed for the last few weeks and months by "advisors". The agenda of these "advisors" is not entirely clear yet. But extrapolation from the Gulf War committe of the IOM gives us some clues. It strongly suggests, but does not conclusively prove, that these "advisors" desire a certain outcome. One which reduces payment liabilities for health insurance companies (to ME patients), reduces government payments for diagnostics and treatments (for ME patients) through Obama-care, reduces government disability payments, maintains the income and bonuses of psychiatrists and psychologists, maintains their somatic syndromes nonsense, increases profits for big (psychiatric) drug companies, and one which continues the lie first formulated by Dr. Straus and then continued by Dr. Reeves of CFS being a so called "fatigue illness", thus preserving the reputation of the NIH and CDC and preserving the careers and status of those in the NIH and CDC. The "advisors" are linked directly and indirectly to these aforementioned factors. A case of self interest at every level.
To achieve their desired outcome these "advisors" have conducted their affairs in secret behind the backs of CFSAC and patients and ME / CFS organisations. They then lied about the IOM contract. The "advisors" have adopted a divide and conquer approach ; this was successfully used to build empires in the past. This divide and conquer approach works as follows. They will recruit 1 or 2 ME doctors / researchers and enlist 1 or 2 representatives of one or two big ME organisations in the USA. They will form a small minority on the IOM panel. The IOM will use them to claim that the IOM is inclusive and open to the views of patients, when in reality they will be used as traitors,. The others on the panel will be carefully selected and will all be "yes men" and be told informally that their careers will depend on supporting the "right outcome". The IOM will claim that these people are "independent". They will represent a few fields including immunology, neurology, psychology, psychiatry and physiotherapy and primary care nurses.
The "investigation" itself will be guided carefully by IOM. This guidance will proceed in a certain direction - psychiatry based. As part of their "investigation" they will look to Britain and see whats happening there. The NICE clinics will be examined. CBT and GET will be included in the IOM's "analysis". They will ignore the scientific evidence into the biological causes of ME / CFS and claim there is contradictory evidence, no biomarkers, and no replication studies to verify anything. The "investigation" will presume that there are no biological treatments for ME / CFS and especially no "evidence based" treatments based on double blind placebo controlled trials. How convenient for them that NIH and CDC refused research funding in this area and the FDA blocked certain medicines for ME / CFS. From this they will decide that nothing can be done for ME / CFS patients and that CBT and GET offer the best way to "manage symptoms". The new definition will be a regurgitation of the Fukuda criteria with some some vague language about possible (though not proven) immune dysfunctions, possible (though not proven) infections at some stage of the illness and possible subgroups, with recommendations for further research, which of course will not be funded. The final outcome, which was determined before the investigation began, will be much the same as the vague, psychology centred "multi-system illness" invented for Gulf war syndrome.
The objectives of Secretary Sebelius' "advisors" will be achieved ; this being
an outcome which reduces payment liabilities for health insurance companies (to ME patients), reduces government payments for diagnostics and treatments (for ME patients) through Obama-care, reduces government disability payments, maintains the income and bonuses of psychiatrists and psychologists, maintains their somatic syndromes nonsense, increases profits for big (psychiatric) drug companies, and one which continues the lie first formulated by Dr. Straus and then continued by Dr. Reeves of CFS being a so called "fatigue illness", thus preserving the reputation of the NIH and CDC and preserving the careers and status of those in the NIH and CDC. The "advisors" are linked directly and indirectly to these aforementioned factors. A case of self interest at every level.
(Show this to Dr. Lucinda Bateman)