The four biggest challenges in diabetes health care are not because of you.
It is because of a failing healthcare system.
First of all, I would tell my patients, “It’s not your fault.”
The second thing I would tell my patients is this:
“If I don’t get you the right resources, and I don’t give you the right easy-to-follow instructions, you leave here frustrated, not encouraged.”
And this means – I have not done my job.
OK, so let’s get into the four biggest challenges in diabetes health care.
And again I repeat this is not your fault.
The healthcare system, including your insurance company, has let you down.
How?
While your doctor fights for you every day to get your insurance to pay for the things that he or she feels you need, it usually falls on the “we-don’t-care deaf ears.
You are normally told to make Lifestyle changes.
(I’m not sure if I even know what this means!)
But anyway, let’s grade the healthcare system on these items.
I guess Lifestyle changes include:
1 – Lose 5% to 7% of body weight –
Does your insurance pay for you to join a successful weight loss program?
2 – Adopt healthy eating habits –
Has your health insurance lowered your premium so you can afford nutritional unprocessed foods?
Have the laws in your state given you a special coupon so you can afford those fruits, and vegetables which are good for you?
3 – Be physically active with weekly goals of 150 minutes of exercise –
Does your health insurance pay for a gym? A treadmill?
4 – Lower medication usage –
Does your doctor screen all pharmacies in the area so you can get the lowest price on your medications.
Does your doctor guarantee that you are on only the necessary lowest number of medications?
Has your TV stopped advertising drugs that cost on average $32,000/month?
Has your state banned all medication ads from your television set yet?
5 – Improve chronic disease risk factors –
If you are overweight, has your doctor ordered a sleep apnea test and made your insurance pay for it?
Does your insurance cover mental health care so you can talk to someone about your frustrations with this disease?
Does your insurance cover the cost of your eyeglasses and hearing devices which you may need eventually as a diabetic?
So, you see, as healthcare providers and insurance companies, shouldn’t it be OUR job to support you?
OK, let’s look at some more of these 4 challenges of diabetes
1 – The coverage for diabetes-related medications and supplies is lacking tremendously.
You ask your doctor for a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) and they say No, you don’t meet the requirements.
Both you and your doctor know that these systems work.
Many of you would see you A1c drop. So why can’t you get one?
Because they’re expensive and insurance does not want to pay for it.
What do you do? You ask your doctor how you both can figure this out together and get one paid for.
2 – Medication adherence – taking medications correctly and on time
You may tell me the following when I ask you about your medications.
“The cost is too high, so I only buy what I can afford. I have to spend my money on more important things.”
Does your doctor ask you what price you CAN afford and order you a different drug?
3 – I feel good so why should I take my medication all the time?
Does your doctor explain what your meds are and why they are important to your health?
4 – Diabetes is a long-term continuous commitment
What you have told me is that diabetes seems to go on forever. With no end in sight, you feel defeated so you give up.
For example, if you get FLU or COVID, does your doctor even tell you about this Quick & Easy FLU/COVID Recovery information?
5 – Pre-diabetes is not taken seriously.
Only 7% – 10% of you are aware that you have prediabetes.
Many doctors do not test for it because they know your premiums will go up.
Also, many doctors do not test for it because they know up to 70% of us will never get diabetes.
However, if you do not “make lifestyle changes”, up to 30% of prediabetics will develop type 2 diabetes within 3 years.
So the question I ask my patients is, “What do you want to do? Be tested? Or Not?”
6 – Diabetes is a complicated disease. Education is failing you.
Diabetic Counseling is a generic course.
Most of the real counseling has to come from one-on-one training with you.
Not all foods act the same for each person. Two diabetics could eat the exact donut. One would spike their sugar and the other would see any changes.
So the food plans and exercise have to be fine-tuned to each person’s chemistry.
There is so much work that needs to be done on the healthcare and insurance side to individualize each plan.
This takes time and communication to overcome these challenges of diabetes.
All the help you should be getting is rapidly disappearing from your world of diabetes.
But at least grab this GUIDE in case you ever get COVID or FLU.