Eastern medical systems, in particular, Chinese and Aryuvedic medical systems, are holistic. They do not ‘decontextualize’ understandings of illness or other dysfunction. They, historically, would not ‘reduce’ a heart problem to a problem with ‘just’ the material heart.

Holism attempts to understand the complexity of organs (e.g. hearts), nested in bodies, whose ‘owners’ eat particular foods, do or do not have rewarding relationships, do or do not have ‘healthy’ habits, attitudes, etc.  Treatments derived from eastern systems have, historically, included recommendations pertaining to diet, yogas or other meditation practices, recommendations designed to enhance intimate relationships and spiritual counseling.

Now, in 2008, in the US, some medical practitioners embrace what they call ‘integrated medicine’. Practitioners of integrated medicine simultaneously tap both western and eastern systems. These practitioners address themselves to consideration of the whole person. Pratitioners consider themselves holistic, rather than reductionist. Treatment regimens include recommended dietary changes, meditation and prescription drugs. Individual pratitioners are more or less inclined to try ’soft’ remedies derived from eastern medicine before introducing ‘hard’ remedies derived from the western systems.

This is the context within which HMO’s and PPO’s operate.