Posted on 06/20/2006 6:45:05 AM PDT by newgeezer
Georgia Lewis' feet were so swollen with fluid that she wore sandals throughout the winter. Lewis, a diabetic who lives in Bellefontaine Neighbors, was giving herself five insulin shots a day but still couldn't regulate her blood sugar.
Years after being diagnosed with diabetes, Lewis, 61, had never learned how to manage her disease or shield herself from its most debilitating effects.
Under the traditional Medicare system, it wasn't in her doctors' financial interest to teach her.
But now, as part of a expanding Medicare program that could transform how the nation cares for its elderly, Lewis' doctors will be responsible for the cost if her health problems turn into expensive complications.
Typically, physicians get paid only when their patients receive care, and more complex care often brings bigger paychecks. At the same time, doctors complain that paltry payments for office visits force them to rush through checkups instead of educating patients about their illnesses, medications and healthy living - all of which might lower future medical bills.
It's a system that gives doctors little financial incentive to keep patients well. And, experts say, it might be contributing to dangerous, unnecessary care as well as high medical bills.
...
Medicare, the government program that provides health care to 42 million older Americans, is experimenting with paying private insurers a per person rate. It's similar to how health maintenance organizations, or HMOs, work. Under this program, called Medicare Advantage, the fee is used to cover the patient's medical expenses, and the insurer keeps the rest. The hope is that the plans will encourage better management of illness to avoid expensive flare-ups.
...
In Lewis' case, the private insurer...was created by a group of St. Louis-area physicians. In theory, the healthier Lewis stays, the bigger the profits for her doctor. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
My Dr was quite blunt with me back in Jan. when after three ER trips thinking i was dying i was told i have diabetes, She looked me in the eye and said change your whole lifestyle or you will die. she gave me a diet plan to follow sent me off to a dietian and then said I was the only one who could make myself better through diet and excerise. its 6 months and i have lost 52 pds ride my bike and walk every day and have a new lease on life! im off the blood pressure pills and the diabetes is in remission. And i have read everything i can about diabetes i wasnt in the dark i found out what i needed to do from the Dr and by using my head. some people just dont want to find out its called denial.
Thanks. Probably a wise choice.
People never learn...
You should meet my doctor. Prevention is his primary focus, and he spends a good amount of time with his patients. I've never been rushed out of his office so he could dash off and see someone else.
Significant co-pays, deductibles and limits in Medicare, which also covers the disabled.
You never met me then.
Similarly, a very obese friend was diagnosed with early (or pre-?)diabetes. His doctor told him the obvious cause was his weight, and he could help himself greatly by shedding the excess pounds. He committed to exercising and went on a low-carb diet; he lost nearly 100 pounds.
That was a couple years ago. His diabetes, like yours, is in remission. He continues to exercise and eat smart.
Best wishes to you and keep up the good work.
Almost ditto here regarding my wife. She's pre-diabetic, and is now dieting, exercising and taking Metformin and checking her blood twice a day. She's lost about 15 pounds in 6 weeks, and her sugar is coming down. The doc's office had LOTS of info - there's no excuse these days for not having information about a disease - every library has a computer with Internet access, so its available.
Mine is. She really gets on my case if I'm not taking care of myself. But, hey, why not indict an entire indusry rather than just take personal responsibility for our choices in doctors?
BUMP FOR LATER
That's out there, but not in my office. In my case it's often the client who demands money-wasting, antagonistic, contentious motion after motion. I try to focus them on what is the most acceptable outcome and get there by the most economical means possible. Many clients dump me (if I don't withdraw first) for not being "aggressive" enough, but I refuse to waste their money and my time.
I was just trying to cover the basics. :-)
A study released last month by the Dartmouth Atlas Project found dramatic variations in how doctors and hospitals nationwide care for elderly, chronically ill patients. Patients who received more care didn't necessarily receive better care. But if all patients received the highest-quality, lowest-cost care, Medicare could have saved $40 billion, or one-third of the total spent.
Regarding the woman in the story, from the last few paragraphs--
Lewis has lost 20 pounds since she started attending the diabetes discussion group. She's also gained control of her blood sugar and cut back her insulin to two shots a day. On a recent Thursday, she had her greatest victory. When she was getting dressed for the discussion group, Lewis tried on her new gym shoes, and they fit.
It was the first time she had been able to wear shoes with ties in months. Now, she's ready to begin exercising.
It appears she is getting some effective diabetic education however, much permanent damage has already been done to many of her body systems.
Did the food industry, big pharma and conventional medicine, FDA design poor health throughout America for the mighty buck? Dr. Hyman says so.
Good for your wife! I hope that she avoids the disease.
Right away in their description there is a false statement about 'positive and negative ions' ... ions are only negative. There is no such thing as a positive ion.
It would be great if this works but how will you know? Do they do an analysis of your urine before and after to show you toxin removal? That wasn't clear to me.
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