[newgeezer]

Doctors not very concerned with their patients' wellness? Who'd a thunk it?

[NorCalRepub]

Whether they care or not, Doctors are not trained in "health", they are trained in disease....most don't know more then superficial nutrition and I've never met one who exercises much......

[Ptaz]

In this day and age, if you're not looking out for your own best interest with a doctor, it's time to find a doctor who will.

[larryjohnson]

lift weights

[Blueflag]

Don't even go there.

Doctors LOSE money on EVERY chronic care Medicare patient if they (the docs) play it straight. COMPLIANCE is a patient's responsibility also.

FREE (and lots of it) information is available to help patients of all ages manage their adult onset diabetes.

FWIW, look at the common condition -- elderly, obese, hypertensive, diabetic -- except for 'elderly' all are chronic illnesses with major life-style contributions.

I cannot 'sit still' and listen to people b!tch about how even after they get free transport to the doc, free ER care when they go into insulin shock, virtually free medicine/ injectibles -- and then COMPLAIN that their doc is only interested in sending them a bill for an office visit.

Oh please.

OK, now I'll actually read the post after ranting. LOL


Be back in a sec ...

[Kozak]

Years after being diagnosed with diabetes, Lewis, 61, had never learned how to manage her disease or shield herself from its most debilitating effects.

Guess she can't pick up a book or do a little research on the internet huh?

Personal responsibility? Who me, I'm a patient. It's the doctors, nurses, dentists, paramedics problem, not MINE. /sarc.

[Lokibob]

The very same principal applies to lawyers.

They are not paid to have their clients settle amicably. take a divorce, for example. If they can get the 2 sides fighting, the per hour rate skyrockets.

[twigs]

It's just hard for me to imagine this. My husband was diagnosed with diabetes in January. We've been swarmed with info from lots of different sources. First of all, his doctor's office has several nurse practictioners who instruct patients with certain illnesses, diabetes being one of them. We weren't convinced by all she told us, so we went looking on our own. After my husband received his first diabetic medication, we received info from the drug company, with lots of additional resources. Then we've been reading up on our own. Yes, we did take our own initiative, but we also received help from "the system." Lots of it.

[ziggy_dlo]

I work for the state medicaid system here in texas, and we get complaints at least (just on my calls) about 12 a day and I take on average 150 calls in an 8 hour period. That is way too many. The doctor refuses to give care or the doctor will tell them they sent authorization for a surgical procedure when they know full well that they did not. It is an ongoing cycle that the doctors find amusing and they keep doing it because medicaid only pays an allowable amount for each procedure that is rendered to the client. If they bill 150 dollars for a office visit and the state only say 32 bucks that is payment in full and they lose that money. The doctors know this when they sign up and contract with medicaid, but we have some numbskull doctors and this perpetual cylce keeps on going.

[WKB]

Drs don't want you to die BUT
they don't want you to get 100% well either

[sgtbono2002]

This story is saying that a Doctor never gave this woman a diet? Never told her not to eat sugary foods? Never told her to check her blood sugar? I dont believe that.

More likely she prefers to not change her life style by diet and following her doctors orders.

[Vectorian]

Could some kind soul explain to me, an Englishman, the difference between Medicare and something like the National Health Service here in the UK?

Who pays for Medicare and who is elligible to receive it? What types of care are covered and which aren't?

Cheers.

[Beagle8U]

Just like the HMO's, the "wellness" programs look good on paper, get paid to treat people that aren't sick and reap the benefits. The problems come when someone does get sick and needs expensive treatments and tests, then the doctors don't want to part with that cash to order the tests and treatments.

Think of it this way....You could start a program much the same way for auto repairs and maintenance, you would do great until the cars started getting old and worn out, then the scheme doesn't work very well.

By the time people get on Medicare, they are already old and worn out.

[Vicki]

I think the doctors hands are tied by the HMOs. Health care is now a managed business. From what I have heard doctors are required to see so many patients a day, spend 10 minutes or less with a patient.

My advice is to try and stay healthy.

[thoughtomator]

I'll reserve my opinion on this until I hear what Terri Schiavo has to say about it.

[suzyq5558]

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.

[Dead Corpse]

(sarcasm)Since socliaizing the medical care industry caused so much of this... let's socialize it some more! That'll work... Right???(/sarcasm)

People never learn...

[pabianice]

I'm buying stock in this company.

[Larry Lucido]

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?

[jamaly]

BUMP FOR LATER

[Tarheel]

The following is from the rather lengthy article--

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.