Amish Health
With the controversy swirling on television and radio talk shows regarding the current health care debate, the question arises: how do the Amish pay for healthcare? In these days of high health care insurance premiums, skyrocketing medical costs, and managed care is it possible for a pay as you go community to afford to even walk into a medical clinic?
For the most part, the Amish prefer not to seek traditional medical services unless it is absolutely necessary or if the illness is in an advanced state. Since they do not carry medical insurance, services are paid in cash or if there are large medical bills they are usually covered by the community through financial cooperatives. Another added hindrance for medical care is transportation to urban medical facilities. This is usually arranged by hiring a non-Amish driver to bring the sick person to the hospital.
Women will generally not get prenatal care and most will give birth at home with the assistance of older women. The most common health concerns among the Amish are childbirth and early childhood disease, farm safety, infectious disease, and accidents with buggies. Very few Amish are obese and due to strenuous farm and house work most are quite fit.
Amish women take a great interest in herbal medicines and most make their own health remedies for their families. They also do not use vaccinations unless it is absolutely necessary to halt the progression of a disease in the community. One medical problem which has prompted the Amish to seek Western medical care is genetic diseases.
Some Amish communities have an increased number of children born with genetic diseases due to marriage among closely related people. Amish families with children at risk for or who are suffering from a genetic disease have cooperated with researchers to determine what genes are causing illness in their children. Some genetic disorders which are higher in the Amish population include dwarfism and metabolic disorders.
In addition to the study of genetic diseases, the Amish have been willing participants in investigating other diseases such as Alzheimer’s and macular degeneration. The Amish have always kept careful family histories so researchers are able to use this information to help ferret out the causes to these diseases which affect the non-Amish as well.
One prime measure the Amish have to keep healthy is to eat a healthy diet. While many Amish recipes may seem top heavy in the legendary diet buster ingredients, they generally balance the fats and sugars with healthy foods and strenuous exercise.
Here are a few recipes for some “lighter” Amish dishes.
Amish Bean Soup
1 lb. dried navy beans
2 ½ q. water
1 ½ lb. ham bone
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 c. cubed potatoes
1 c. thinly sliced celery
1 c. finely chopped onion
1 c. cubed carrots
Place water and beans in a heavy stock pot. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 1 hour. Add ham bone, garlic, and bay leaf, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Add vegetables and simmer for another hour. Remove ham bone, cut off meat and return the meat to the soup. Reheat soup. Remove the bay leaf before ladling soup into bowls.
Amish Marinated Vegetables
Your choice of vegetables:
Asparagus
Broccoli, cooked to just tender
Sliced onions
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced zucchini
Sliced yellow squash
Marinade:
4 thinly sliced cloves of garlic
¾ c. olive oil
½ tsp. oregano
½ tsp. chives
½ tsp. sweet basil
½ tsp. mint leaves
Black pepper
Combine marinade ingredients into a small bowl. Place vegetables into a large bowl and pour marinade over them. Toss to thoroughly coat all vegetables with the liquid. Cover and place in refrigerator for 4 hours.
