Getting rich on our chronic disease

I have worked in medical imaging for 25 years and over the years I have seen hospitals change from non-profit organizations that focus on good preventive health care at a low affordable cost to corporations that only care about profits.

One doctor who treated HMO patients worked diligently to avoid referrals to specialists so he could get that $50,000 check at the end of the year. We once had a patient crying for a referral for severe kidney stone pain, and the doctor refused to give it, saying the patient should bear this pain until the stone passed.

Ironically, the same physician had a kidney stone attack a few weeks later and was admitted to the hospital for IV pain medication because the pain was intolerable. I'm sure he did not have an HMO insurance that required him to tough out the pain at home.

I went to my doctor and asked for a consultation with a dietition for my rising blood sugar that was threatening to become Type II diabetes. She replied that she did not want to label me a diabetic in order to get this preventive care. In other words, I would have a pre-existing condition that would cause an increase in premiums or I might be dropped by my insurance carrier. My doctor gave me a bunch of pamphlets on Type II diabetes from drug companies and all they did was advocate their drugs. There was no information on how to prevent diabetes by diet or anything else. No wonder our citizens have one of the highest rates of diabetes in the developed world.

Greedy insurance and drug companies are getting rich on our chronic disease. This health care legislation is going to help me and many others get the medical advice and treatment we need.

Lucy Abene

Itasca