TM and reduced health care costs
50% reduced medical care utilisation for TM practitioners
Researchers analysed data from a nation-wide US health insurance company. The study looked at the medical utilisation record of 2,000 policy holders who practised TM compared with a matching control group of about 4,000 non-meditators also drawn from the 600,000 policy holders. It was found that on average the meditating group went to hospital either for treatment or surgery 56% less often than the control group. (p<0.0001)
The TM policy holder group also needed 44% fewer doctors visits.
The findings were consistent across 17 different health categories including the following:
| Health category | Reduction in medical utlisation |
|---|---|
| Heart disease | 87.3% |
| Tumours | 55.4% |
| Infectious diseases | 30.4% |
| Mental disorders | 30.6% |
| Disorders of the nervous system | 87.3% |
The largest contrast in healthcare utilisation came in the over 40s age category with meditators over 40 having a decrease from the norm of 69.4% of time spent in hospital and a 73.7% reduction in doctors' visits. (See chart below)
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|---|---|---|
| Bar chart showing decreased hospitalisation for the group of TM practitioners |
Bar chart showing decreased doctors visits for the group of TM practitioners |
Research reference: DW Orme-Johnson, Medical care utilization and the Transcendental Meditation program, Psychosomatic Medicine 1987, 49:493-507. A retrospective study was published in The American Journal of Managed Care Vol 3 No 1 January 1997
Quebec study shows 36% reduction in health care costs with TM
In another study researchers analysed monthly physicians’ expenses for the period 1981-1990 for 599 TM meditators in Quebec.
Findings: The study showed that for 3 years prior to learning TM, subjects had identical levels of health costs to others of the same age and sex. For 3 years after learning TM, overall costs declined 36% (12.4% annually).
For high costs subjects, medical expenses declined 54% (18% annually).
For the over 50’s, costs declined 57% (19% annually)
Research reference: The impact of transcendental meditation practice on Medical expenditure published in Dissertation Abstracts International: Issue 12, Book A, Vol 53 - June 1993.